


Passions

by Gabriels_Mourning



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Gen, non-canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-23
Updated: 2016-10-22
Packaged: 2018-04-16 19:37:49
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 34,878
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4637682
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gabriels_Mourning/pseuds/Gabriels_Mourning
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Modern fic, my first, please be kind, I'm begging you, I haven't done one yet my Mergana, so risking it all, ha ha...</p>
<p>Modern, AU, where Morgana is adopted, Uther is alive and trying to groom Arthur to be the successor to his international company. <br/>The rest of the gang shows up peripherally, and Merlin, Gwen and Elyan are in business together.  <br/>As soon as Morgana and Merlin come into eye contact, that spark ignites, except that there's alcohol and lots of secrets involved.  <br/>Everyone is tied together a lot tighter than what it first seemed, but that's the way it is in fanfic.  </p>
<p>Comments and Kudos always appreciated, please feel free to leave either.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Passions

Arthur stumbled in the door of the mansion with a moan as the cab drove off.  He greeted the servant who looked vaguely like someone who should have been a George or a Jeeves than a Ferdinand.  He certainly looked affronted when Arthur had called him “Ferdie” as he thanked him.  He made his way up to the sitting room to where Morgana normally sat, but she met him halfway down the stairs for a hug. 

“I thought you weren’t getting back until tomorrow night?  How’s Melbourne?”  Arthur winced with a smile at the volume of her voice.

“Alcoholic.  I drank water all through the flight on the way back, peed three times and I think I’m still drunk.”  She laughed and touched his shoulder. 

“Poor baby.  You’re lucky to have survived.”  He put a hand high up on her back and propelled her towards the sitting room up the stairs. 

“You’ve never been, Morgana.  Can I recommend a good liver transplant if you do?”  She scoffed. 

“I’m Irish, Arthur.  Your weak drinks have no effect on my all powerful liver.  It’s a genetic superiority.”  He smiled indulgently as she gestured to a chair opposite her overstuffed armchair and it’s ever present steaming cup of tea and splayed book.  This time it was a thick text with a new looking dust jacket, entitled “Superheroes and the Ubermensch: Why everyone loves a hero.”  He pushed his chin out to it. 

“You’re reading Merryn Emmerys?”  Morgana’s smile widened and her eyes narrowed at him.

“You’ve read all about him, I presume, on all your flights?  I wouldn’t expect you to know much about him.  He’s wonderfully clever, and funny in his writing.  He’s obviously spent a lot of time thinking about heroes.  Maybe he’s a cute geek with glasses I could while away the hours with in deep discussion about able bodied men in spandex.”  Her laughing tone mocked him, and he was about to respond when the door banged open and Uther strode in.  Morgana’s smile faded and she greeted him respectfully, even as he ignored her. 

“You’re back early, Arthur.  What happened?”  Arthur glanced at Morgana almost apologetically. 

“Everything went very smoothly, Father.  The negotiations were brief but satisfactory.”  Uther grunted as he poured himself a glass of whiskey from the decanter at the bar. 

“Yes, I got Gwaine’s email.  Long, but a trifle… unsteady.  Why you entrusted a drunkard to the Southern Acquisitions Team is beyond me, but you’ll answer to the shareholders if there’s a problem.”  Arthur swallowed his retort as Morgana fixed a ribbon into the book and picked up her cup of tea.  “And you, Morgana?  Swanning about until late and now you’re working hard again at nothing.”  Morgana stood up and smiled coldly at Uther.

“I’ve sold six paintings in three weeks, and attempted three Pendragon Foundation dinners in four nights.  So yes, Uther, I’m reading on the Saturday that I have off.  I’m heading to Borneo in three days to oversee the reconstruction proceedings which will take me out of your sight for the better part of a fortnight.  I don’t know how else to stay out of your way.”  He grunted again and Morgana affectionately touched Arthur’s shoulder on the way out.  The young blond stared at his father. 

“What’s that all about, Father?  What’s going on?”     Uther’s glare didn’t cut him short, but it was close. 

“Your sister is supposed to be the philanthropic face of Pendragon Consolidated.  Not use her appointments as a means to further enrich herself.”  Arthur shook his head.

“She paints pictures about our supposed ancestors, Father.  People pay handsomely for them and she donates half of everything she earns in the name of the Pendragon foundation.  It makes us look good.  And you’ve said yourself you don’t trust her in the boardroom.”  Uther waved his glass about dismissively and Arthur trailed off.

“Women have no place in business, they cloud the issues,” he ranted.  He’d said as much on many occasions before, but there was the hollow ring of old lies to them by now. 

“So what’s really bothering you?”  Arthur didn’t bother to correct his father.  Uther often enjoyed clashing with the female members of his companies.  Such clashes had led to trysts on more than one occasion.  Uther trailed off and sat in Morgana’s chair.  His suit was expensive, and as such barely looked creased.  The same couldn’t be said for his father’s stressed features.

“You remember Gaius?”  Arthur nodded. 

“Of course.  You helped him set up his medicinal company.  Haven’t heard from him in years.”  Uther affirmed him with a nod.

“Right.  He was the only one to truly help your mother when she was… when she got sicker.”  Arthur’s interest piqued and he tilted his head as he studied his father.

“I never knew that.”

“We didn’t make an issue of it.  I think both of us felt somewhat pained.  He tried some very risky practices at the time, and they didn’t work.  They didn’t worsen her condition, but I think he always blamed himself for her death.  I knew it wasn’t his fault, but I was much concerned with my own grief at the time.”  He took another swig of his glass and Arthur snagged it and refilled it before he could get up or reconsider.  It has been some time since his father had opened up like this. 

“Gaius has long since paid back his borrowed money, but because it started with the two of us, I’ve always kept him somewhat in mind, making sure things were going well with him.  At any rate, last week, I received word that he’d been bought out.  The sale goes through today.”  Arthur looked at his watch before he nodded. 

“Last night before the long weekend in Washington.  That’s where he ended up, isn’t it?”  Uther nodded.  “Who bought him out?”  Uther’s mouth opened as he brought his phone out to check an email. 

“It’s the strangest thing.  “Gwenelyan Holdings.”  Never heard of them, have you?”  Arthur shook his head in denial.

“No idea, Father.  Are they a private company, corporation, something like that?”  Uther echoed his own denial. 

“There’s almost nothing about them.  The only thing my forensic accountant could find was a trail of purchases of small freeholds.  There’s a reconstruction shell company… some other purely existential company focuses.  Anything you’d need to be completely autonomous and ignore the outside world, though, down to the catering facilities.  They go in, set up shop and move on.”  Arthur narrowed his eyes.

“Was Mordred able to discover anything else about them?”  Uther tucked his phone back into his suit pocket and leaned back into the chair, taking another sip from his glass. 

“Only the names of the shops in the business listings are all pretty much the same.  “Passions on Windsor, Passions on High, Passions on Privett, Passions on whatever bloody street they end up on.”  Arthur pulled his own phone out and did a quick internet search. 

“There’s a new one, here, Father, opening up tonight from the looks of it.”  He scrolled down, shrugging.  “Looks like another dime-a-dozen bookstore.”  He kept scrolling.  “Coffeeshop and Wine Bar.”  His thumb moved across the face of the phone as Uther’s eyebrows rose.  “Arthouse Theatre.”

“Passions on Caerleon.  Grand opening, nine o’clock.”  He tilted the phone and shrugged as he locked the screen.  “Free entry for anyone bringing a contribution.”  He lifted his shoulders in confusion.  “They’re raising money?”  Uther shook his head.

“Clever marketing, that’s for certain.  Take Morgana.  She might be able to contribute.  One of her sketches or something, I suppose.  And she might be able to talk to that coffee shop crowd that take themselves so seriously.”  Arthur laughed and shrugged again. 

“If you want, Father.  What’s the end game though?  Is it that important that we find out who they are?”  Uther nodded. 

“Until you’ve bought them, anyone that can double deal like that is a threat to the sanctity of the company we’ve built, Arthur.  No matter what we have, it can all be taken away just as easily.  If not in a hostile takeover, then in complacency.  I didn’t build this from sheer determination to have some shadow company waltz in and begin taking it out from under me.”  Arthur stood up, undoing his tie and slipping it from around his neck.

“So we’ll start with what we can.  Passions, then.  I’ll speak to Morgana.”  He nodded to his father who acknowledged him with the raised glass in his hand.  Arthur stopped by the doorway and looked back at his father.  “Is it possible that someone in Gaius’s family made the offer on the company, and that’s why he wanted to keep it quiet?”  Uther shook his head.

“Alice died childless years ago, and he never remarried.  The old fool thought he had no family left.  I’ve written to him.  He’ll appreciate the old fashioned sentiment, I’m hoping.  But I’m not about to let someone take advantage of him.  As I said, I owe him.”  Arthur nodded commiseratingly to his father. 

“I’m going to get some sleep, father.  I’ll be having a late night, I believe.  You should um…”  he trailed off and looked out the door towards Morgana’s room.  “You should maybe try holding your temper with her a little more.  She’s not been allowed to do anything but what you tell her for her whole life.  And she’s still finding ways to contribute to the family.  It’s not very fair, Father.”  Uther sighed.

“I don’t understand her, Arthur.  She spends all her time working for the foundation, spending it’s money and showing goodwill, and yet she insists on throwing her artwork around every chance she gets.”  Arthur smiled sadly.

“What else does she have that’s hers and hers alone?  Everything else is in the Pendragon name.  The only thing in Morgana’s name is her painting.  And she gets paid very well for it by those who buy her work.”  Uther nodded absently.

“It’s not on the level of the classical masters, but… it’s certainly profitable for her.  She made more last year than our Eastern European division.  I just don’t understand how she can be so…”  He shook his head in frustration.  Arthur’s face was deadpanned as he nodded slowly. 

“No father.  I’ve no idea how she could be.”  Uther looked up with narrowed eyes above his barely concealed irritation, but Arthur was gone.  He lifted his drink to his lips with a wry smile. 

“Smart Aleck.”

  

* * *

 

 

Much to Arthur’s surprise, Morgana agreed to go with him rather readily when he found her room, idly sketching in a black folder folio.

“We never get to spend much time together,” she shrugged.  “And the house gets to be a bit… full when you and Uther are both home.”  She smiled teasingly and Arthur rolled his eyes.

“This isn’t just a night out, Morgana.  PenCon will pick up the tab for the night, and you’ll have to walk me through talking to artsy people.”  She laughed and opened her laptop. 

“What’s the name of the place?”  He’d emailed the link to her already and she opened it up.  “I hope it’s not a swingers club,” she drawled, her Irish brogue thick in her laugh.  Arthur took a breath to argue before ruefully reconsidering. 

“I suppose it could have sounded a bit wrong.”  He leaned around and she twisted the screen so he could see.  “I saw that earlier, “bring a contribution.”  What do you think it means?”  Morgana shrugged.  “How in the hell are we supposed to go if we don’t know anything about them?”  Morgana pulled her hair around to the side and began to run her fingers through it, a nervous habit she’d always had.

“Simple, Arthur dearest, you fix it.  You must be jetlagged, dear brother, for your brain to be so slow.  Even for you.”  She picked up her mobile and dialled the number on the screen, pressing the speakerphone button and putting the phone on the desk as she scrolled down the page, her long, thin fingers dragging across the sensor pad.  Arthur dropped his hurt look when the dial tone connected and Morgana grinned at him.

“Passions on Caerleon!” answered a sweet Londoner’s voice.  Morgana leaned in closer to the phone.

“Yes, hello, I’m calling up about your opening?  Are there still tickets available?”  The sweet voice on the other end laughed openly and Arthur’s eyes opened wider and he grinned at Morgana, who shook a finger at him warningly.

“Tickets, yeah, I did suggest that.  We’re keeping an open door policy for the um, well the opening.  It’s a donation to get in, either something for the auction or loose change and a charity of your choice to donate to.  I’m sorry, we didn’t have much space in the paper or on the website to explain.  How many of you are looking to come?”  Morgana felt herself warming to the girl’s speech, as though they’d been friends for years.  It was a nice voice, which Arthur was nodding appreciatively to.  Morgana admonished him with another glare as he spread his hands mock innocently. 

“Just my brother and I.”  The girl’s voice tutted for a moment.

“No, please, by the waterfall, if you can.  Thank you, gentlemen.”  Arthur looked up and mouthed “waterfall?” with a shrug.  Morgana echoed it.  “Would you like me to reserve you a table, booth or something on the roof deck?  If you’re able to get here by within a half hour of nine, I can do that for you.”  Morgana nodded, pursing her lips. 

“That sounds lovely.  Something on the roof deck, please.  Is there heating out, I think it’s supposed to rain tonight?”  The girl’s voice gushed in pleasant pride. 

“That’s all been taken care of.  Our architect thinks of everything.”  Morgana laughed lowly and “hmm’d” at the phone.  “Can I have your names please, for the reservation?” 

“Pendragon.  Morgana and Arthur.”  The background noise on the phone suddenly went very quiet.  “Hello?”  The phone scratched as though she had been holding it to her clothing. 

“I’m sorry, did you say Pendragon?  Morgana Pendragon?”  The excitement in her voice rose a little at the last. 

“Yes,” affirmed Morgana slowly.  The girl’s excited squeak was buried as she cleared her throat in embarrassment.

“Um, I’m sorry, it’s just that I’ve always liked your.. sorry, you’re THE Morgana Pendragon?  The artist?”  Morgana laughed.

“I do a few other things as well.  But yes, I paint.”  She smiled as the girl almost visibly blushed, the embarrassment in her voice overriding her sudden excitement.

“I’m sorry, I just love your work.  Nobody does a landscape like you, and the knights and the fair maidens and just everything about them, I love them.”  Morgana found herself “awing” at the enthusiasm while Arthur rolled his eyes soundlessly. 

“Oh, thank you, it’s always nice to meet, well, sort of meet a fan.  Artists don’t generally get many people that recognize them.  That always goes to the rock stars and the movie celebrities.  Will you be at the opening tonight?”

“I will; it’s all hands on deck tonight.  Don’t get out of work, even when you run the place.”  Morgana smiled softly.

“Especially when you run the place, no doubt.  I’ll be sure to try and find you to say hello…” 

“Gwen,” came that breathlessly excited voice as she could clearly hear the smile.  “I’m Gwen.” 

 

* * *

 

 

 

The pavement outside was crowded with people when they pulled up at the curb.  Arthur got out first and held the door for Morgana as she unsteadily slid across the seat.  The pre-drinks had started almost an hour and a half before Arthur had rolled out of his bed and grumbled into the shower.  He’d eyed her in distaste as she’d waved the vodka glass at him and told him to hurry up.

“You must be joking.  It’s a book store.  What are all these people here for?”  Morgana took his offered hand and straightened her dress as she stood up.  While Arthur wore what he referred to as his casual suit, which mean a tieless black and white number with crisp lines, Morgana was far more elegant.  Her dress was tight around her thighs, not clashing at all with the dark green heels with thin straps that she’d chosen.  Black lines looking like rose vines curled around her body, culminating  in a rose print cutout across her back, showing her shoulder blades and the fact she wore no bra.  Her long black hair was an artful masterpiece of curls that cascaded down her side around her thing, rimless reading glasses. 

“There’s a lot of demographics to consider, Arthur.  There’s the readers and the pseudo readers, the hipsters who are here to pretend to be intellectuals that are probably only here to show people how they are willing to lower themselves.”  The cab door shut and moved away and they joined the line, waiting to get in.  They stood under heat lamps warding off the cold London air and Morgana smiled at them appreciatively as the security efficiently processed everyone into the club. 

“You can hardly say that, Morgana.  You look like a dork model.”  She arched an eyebrow at him.

“Dear little brother, do you know the difference between a dork, a nerd and a geek?” she asked sweetly. Arthur shrugged mockingly.

“You’re one on the weekend, the other two alternative days of the week?”  He smiled cheekily and she bit her lip at him, trying for and failing for seriousness.  “Honestly, Morgana, you’ve brought homework on a night out.”  He eyed her folio, held in her hand with her clutch protectively. 

“It’s not homework, you dolt.  I promised that girl Gwen that I’d give her something.  And incidentally, I DO happen to know the actual differences between the three distinctions.  So you can just shut your mouth.”

“Does knowing the difference make you a dweeb?”  They came up to the front of the line and the pleasant looking black man at the front took their names and checked them off against a list. 

“Pendragons.  Two.  Inside the doors are the donation boxes, either for the charity draw or the auction.  Both are optional of course, but we encourage you to do either.  After that, through the double doors and then you’re inside.  Take the elevator to the top floor, and your seats are near the fire.  Table Twelve.”  Arthur thanked him and moved past, collecting his I.D.  Morgana stopped with an outstretched hand back to the security man. 

“Beg pardon, I was wondering where Gwen was?  She said she was working tonight?”  The man looked at her guardedly.

“She is…”  Morgana held up her folio. 

“I promised I’d give her something, I know she’s probably busy.”  Recognition dawned in his eyes and he nodded. 

“Right, Pendragon.  She was all bent out of shape this morning after your call.  She’s probably going to be run off her feet for the first hour, but I’ll let her know you’re at your table.”  Morgana nodded her thanks and the man turned away as he beckoned to the next people in the line.  Arthur held the door open for her again and then they were swallowed by the darkness.  Just as the man had indicated, there was a darkly lit box marked “Charity” and a chute marked “Auction Donation” which Morgana signed several sheets from her workbook and slipped inside.  Arthur pulled a thick wad of notes and peeled half of them and went to put them in the box.  Morgana laughed and pointed to the marked envelopes beside the box. 

“You mark the charity you want on the front, Arthur, and then put the envelope in.”  He shrugged, apathetically. 

“What does it matter?  What charity should we put it to?   Pendragon Foundation?”  She glared at him.

“You’re only suggesting that because it’s the only foundation you know.”  Arthur nodded.

“Pretty much.”

They went through another set of doors after he deposited the money.  The doors opened up into a huge entranceway, revealing four spiralling staircases leading up to the next level.  Comfortable couches everywhere were already occupied with sprawling people, mostly ignoring everyone else as they debated things passionately or dispassionately as the group dictated.  A coffee and wine bar lined the length of the left hand side, but the right hand side showed a glass partitioned garden, with a cascading series of slightly tilted horizontal pipes of treated bamboo, which fell into the final length of straight bamboo which ran the width of the building which had been studded with small holes to trickle down the wall and into the garden.  It was beautiful and simple at once, and Morgana loved it.  Small bookshelves and tucked away nooks filled the outlay, she smiled in wonder as she looked up, seeing a painted forest scene with such skill that she found herself envious.  Arthur looked towards the bar.

“Now that’s a thing of beauty.”  His low tone of appreciation drew her gaze, until she realised he wasn’t talking about the dark wooden bar but the harried beauty behind it.  Rich chocolate skin and dark, twisting curls of hair above a wide smile  spoke to customers who came up and ordered drinks with an easy grace.  Arthur’s usual predatory smile was gone as he stared, until his vision was cut off by two girls who moved up towards them.  Morgana smiled and embraced the blonde one. 

“Morgana!” cooed Morgause as she returned the hug.  “Isn’t this wonderful?  We finally have our own style of Passions, books and wine.”  She laughed highly as the brunette stared boldly at Morgana’s brother, who looked relatively terrified.

“Arthur,” she smirked, her tongue moving across her lip hungrily.  Morgause glanced irritatedly at them, and Arthur looked suddenly trapped. 

“Nim.  It’s been a long time.  I hope you’re well.”  She shrugged, her chest threatening to free itself from the dark material drawn tight against her.  It left little to the imagination, but Nimueh’s knowing look was all Morgana needed to already roll her eyes at her brother. 

“Almost as well as can be expected.”  Her hungry gaze flicked across to Morgana, and the light flickered out.  “Morgana.  Always so lovely to see you.  I heard about your little coup with “Priestess Slain.”  So nice to see friends getting ahead in the world.  Not quite my type of art, but…”  Morgana smiled indulgently. 

“And you, Nimueh, that piece you wrote on the wastrel medium that modern art has become.  It was very… in depth.”  Morgause grabbed Nimueh on the arm and airly turned her towards the bar. 

“We’ll catch up with you later, hmm?”  Morgana rolled her eyes at Morgause, who grinned.  She turned to Arthur as he watched Nimueh saunter towards the bar. 

“Really, Arthur?  She’s far more interested in your father’s money than your personality.”  He shrugged, unconcerned until the object of his distraction turned and flashed him a naughty smile over her shoulder, her lips pursing together in a soft pout. 

“Well, um, that’s as may be.  Besides,” he sighed petulantly.   “The sex was so good…”  Morgana lifted her hands to her ears and mock growled at him. 

“Her and her mother look like twins.  I hope you knew which one you were doing.”  He shrugged and grinned again.

“Good times, good times….  That’s why men say “baby” when they’re making love, so we don’t have to remember their names.”  Morgana cringed and he laughed.  “I’m joking, of course…”  Morgana didn’t believe him, not entirely, but also didn’t want to press the issue. 

They continued on, heading to the elevator and looking out over the room.  As they passed through the floor, and into the second storey, they noted the theatre room and again the book nooks and shelving, holding all sorts of reading materials.  Glass flooring and criss crossing support beams gave another balcony under another garden as they passed through it.  No players were on the stage as yet, but here too were many people sitting and talking quietly.  The bar was full of people, and several were standing on the balcony, overlooking the gardens and the scenes below.  The winding staircases came up beside the stage and on either side of the elevator as it climbed higher still.  It came to the third level, up to the roof and opened up, letting the cold air in.  Morgana stepped out first, heading for the bar.  Arthur waved off, claiming he was still recovering from his trip to Australia, and so she ordered an apple martini and two bottles of water.  She gave one to Arthur and they made their way down to their table.  It was right by the fire, as promised, and the chairs they sat in were comfortable in the extreme.  Morgana sighed in happiness as she put her drink down on a small rotating book shelf with a small barrier around the top of it, protecting the drinks from falling over, and tucked her clutch and folio down beside the chair.  Arthur drank heavily from his bottle and put it in opposite side, spinning the side table idly.  A DJ began to play some hauntingly orchestral music with a distinctive beat woven into its melody, and Morgana found her feet tapping in time to it.  They sat for perhaps half an hour, relaxing.  Morgana looked around, fascinated by the construction of the building, and the amphitheatre atop the building which somehow made it feel like a forest hiding them all. 

“I don’t even know who half of these are.  Marion Zimmer Bradley?  I mean, I like the name Bradley, but really, how long does your name have to be to be put on a book for god’s sake?  And who in the hell is T.S. White?”  Morgana smiled to herself as she lifted her glass to her lips and turned away.  Hidden in the dark leaves of the wall vines that surrounded her, a small concrete face of a woman with long hair stared back at her, almost knowingly.  There was something of her about the face and eyes, she decided.  But the roses carved into the stone drew her attention as the heat from the fire and the martini began to relax her.

“Good evening, how is… everything?”  The voice was light and professional enough until it dropped low and intrigued at the last word, but as Morgana turned back, she found herself staring.   The low light from the fire caught sharp lines of cheekbones that seemed chiseled from stone.  Rough, thick hair covered his over wide ears, tucking them away out of sight and hiding them despite their size.  Slight wax or gel in his hair kept it mussed as though he’d just got out of the shower, and he wore designer stubble to perfect, roughing up his boyish looks enough to show the dark of the man.  His eyes had caught her own, and she was the reason his voice had changed, but he didn’t make her self-conscious.  For the first time in a long time, Morgana enjoyed the attention in his approving eyes.  She ducked her head back down for another sip of her drink to hide her pleased smile at her effect as he swallowed his embarrassment.

His dark shirt, slacks and dress shoes seemed appropriate, that he was somehow at once a wait staff member and something more.  The inside of his collar showed a flash of red, but he wore no undershirt.  The cold air swirled around him, and Morgana breathed deeply, but she couldn’t smell any aftershave.  She wondered for a moment how scratchy his chin would be if she were to touch it.  She crossed her legs, and bit her bottom lip to stop the hungry smile when his eyes bulged as he stared.  His desire was almost palpable, but she’d never felt it so quickly aroused before.  He was a mystery, and she forgot what he’d asked that had drawn her attention.  

“Merlin?”  Arthur’s incredulous tone cut through her contemplation of him.  Morgana looked between them for a moment, as Arthur stood up and shook the young man’s hand.  Merlin shook himself and smiled at Arthur widely, as if he’d known him for years.

“Alright then?”  Arthur thumped him on the back and turned to Morgana.

“This is… um…  Merlin.  You don’t really know him, but I… did some work with him ages ago.  He’s been a friend ever since.  Helped me through a bit of a tight spot.”  Morgana put her drink down and stood up, holding her hand out to Merlin’s.  He took it gravely and hesitated before leaning down and kissing her knuckles.  It was at once an intimate gesture and also a profoundly respectful one and she couldn’t help but feel a warm flutter in her chest at the old fashioned respect he showed her.  He held her hand for a moment longer than necessary before he blushed and let go.  Morgana lingered her hand out towards him before turning and reaching for her drink.  It wasn’t an alcoholic nervousness, but simply social awkwardness that drove her.  Arthur scoffed lightly.

“Ignore my little sister, Merlin,” he declared, magnanimously as he waved a hand, urging Merlin on.

“Not bloody likely,” murmured Merlin.  Morgana hid her smile, grateful again for the glass that burned delightfully down her throat.  He avoided her gaze, but when her legs moved, he concentrated so hard on staring at Arthur, that she gave a low laugh.  “I’m um… I work here.  I’ve… sort of invested.”  Arthur shook his head, not comprehending as he flickered a glance towards Morgana’s interested features. 

“But what’s a… guy like you… I mean, it’s an investment?”  There was a sudden commotion as the smooth skinned bar attendant from the bottom level came up and touched Merlin’s arm.  It was a distinctly intimate gesture and Morgana swallowed another mouthful of the drink, emptying the glass to cover the sudden rash of jealousy that bloomed in her chest.  Of course he was taken, she fumed silently.  And of course it was with someone beautiful like this girl.  Arthur, typically devoid of anything resembling social nuance, grinned at the girl.

“Merlin, it’s only ten o’clock, and we’re already halfway through the champagne we’ve allotted for the night.”  He beamed at her and jostled her elbow companionably. 

“It’s fine, just open the rest, as you need, Gwen.  Its opening night, they’re always more expensive than planned, remember?”  She gave a soft frown that was irritatingly adorable.  Morgana looked across to the barman and lifted her glass wistfully.  He nodded and began to prepare another.   She looked at her bottle of water and then pursed her lips as the seconds drew long with an empty drink in her hand.  “Gwen, this is Arthur and his sister, Morgana.”  Her eyes widened and she smiled beamingly at Morgana.  It was a beautiful smile.  Morgana looked to the bar again. 

“It’s so lovely to meet you.  I’m sorry, I meant to come up early, but we’ve been so busy.  Thank you so much for coming!”  Morgana smiled, almost in spite of herself.  The girl was quite lovely, of course.  And it wasn’t as though she had anything with Merlin besides an obvious mutual attraction.  If he was already with Gwen, then so be it.  It was just another time when an intellectual man was already taken, no matter really.  She swallowed her pride and reached down for her folio. 

“It’s not much, but it’s signed.  I wanted to thank you.  Like I said, I don’t get many real fans, so I have to appreciate the ones I do have, right?”  She found the drawing she’d done before getting ready, of a faceless woman with sharp lines for a face and barely there breasts in a gown of flowing leaves against a tree, her hair and upswept arms turning into the foliage.  Gwen’s eyes widened and she gave a strange frown of thanks, warmth and affection in every fibre of her as if she wanted to hug Morgana. 

“That’s so…”  She held up the picture and stared at it.   “Oh wow…  It’s so… I mean, I can’t accept this!”  Merlin glanced at the picture for no more than a second before his eyes came to Morgana again.  She was caught in his eyes for a moment as they judged her, appraised her worth and found her precious.  Arthur’s eyes narrowed beside them as Merlin’s voice dropped low again.

“Beautiful beyond belief,” he murmured, watching her blush suddenly.  Her drink arrived and she took it in the instance that Merlin’s eyes flicked to the waiting staff as he skilfully swapped the drinks empty for full.  Her heart skipped a beat again and she crossed her arms in front of her.  He wasn’t flirting, but he definitely wasn’t keeping his desire to himself.  Gwen was right there, after all.  It wasn’t right.  Or fair.  And she didn’t stop him.  Maybe they were swingers, or in an open relationship.  Morgana was open minded, but that kind of thing wasn’t really her cup of tea.  Gwen was still staring at the piece of paper in her hand, and appreciating it.  Morgana began to feel self-conscious.

“It’s not much.  I mean, it was just this afternoon.  These seats are amazing!” she regretted it instantly, but Gwen looked up and smiled in thanks.  She tucked the coal sketch back into her hands and gave Morgana a half hug. 

“I can’t thank you enough, Morgana, this is..”  She shrugged, not having the words and Morgana smiled at her genuinely. 

“You can dance with her brother,” Arthur boldly claimed, taking her hand.  Merlin smiled indulgently and turned, waving them off.  Gwen’s shy smile spread wide as she let Arthur lead her away, before she motioned with the sketch and led him to the corner of the rooftop, where they disappeared back downstairs, most likely to put the sketch away.  Morgana stood awkwardly as she realised she was alone with Merlin, and reached for the drink again but it was empty.  Evaporated, no doubt, in the heat by the fire.  Merlin was already signalling the barman, who prepared another. 

“Gwen seems lovely.”  The mussed hair barely concealed the blue eyes as they turned back to her, and Morgana took a deep breath.  She was a strong, independent woman, she reminded herself.  She didn’t need to crash another girl’s party to help her own self esteem.  She wouldn’t do anything with him, she decided.  She wouldn’t be Nimueh, who did only what made Nimueh happy.  That brought another thought to the forefront as she watched the bar attendant bring over her third glass.  They were going down far too quickly.  She looked for her water as she took another sip of the icy drink, but Merlin had taken Arthur’s seat, and she was reminded again that he was someone else’s.  She looked at his hands, his strong, huge hands that definitely were devoid of any rings and cleared her throat. 

“If you know Arthur, you should know that he doesn’t always respect relationship boundaries.  He might not be dragging her into alcove to have his way with her, but you might want to watch him around Gwen.”  Where had that come from?  There were plenty of book nooks around where you could escape for a momentary mussing.  Again, Morgana wondered at that scratchy stubble and his thick black hair.  What it would be like to run her fingers through it.  His amusement crinkled his eyes and he smiled.  Morgana sipped her drink again in dismay as he nodded slowly, delight in his eyes.

“Gwen is more than a match for him.  I’ve known Arthur a long time; I did some work for him.  He was a client, but I’ve known Gwen longer.  I have every faith he’ll be in love with her far before she lets herself fall in love with him.”  Morgana scoffed and flicked her hair back out of her face, watching Merlin’s face change hungrily for a moment.  She ignored him and took another sip, refusing to consider the desire she saw in his eyes.

“That doesn’t bother you?  You’ve known him a long time, what work did you do for him?”  A cautious look came over his face. 

“That’s not for me to say, really.  It was… something of a private matter.”  A dozen different scenarios went through her mind.  She went for the easy option and leaned forward, pushing her chest out and tilting her head to the side alluringly.  Merlin blushed and his features strangled as he stared at her, and she laughed a little as he scoffed laughingly and shook his head stubbornly.  Morgana pouted slightly and then the corner of her mouth twitched up in a congratulatory smile as he refused her winsomeness.

“Why should it bother me?”  He asked, directing his attention to her first question.  His look was direct and solemn until comprehension lit his features.   “Ah.  Gwen’s my best friend.  Her and her brother and I grew up together.  They’re like family.”  Her fingers stilled on the glass in her hands as Merlin’s eyes narrowed.  He looked down at his own hands and grabbed her water bottle, signalling the bar attendant, who sighed and jerked his head somewhat frustratingly at the barman.  He threw him a bottle of water and came over, hesitating as he noticed the other bottle was still full before turning and leaving them alone with the second bottle of water.  Surrounded by the leaves and the fire, Morgana felt like she was camping, something she hadn’t done in too many years to remember. 

“They’re like my brother and sister,” Merlin clarified further.  He held up his hand and the bare ring finger on it that she’d not been staring at earlier.  Definitely not been staring at and as such didn’t need him pointing it out.  “Gwen’s my friend.  Not to demean what she means to me, and if Arthur ever hurts her I’ll set Elyan and his whole group of BAMF friends on him, but she’s only ever been a friend.”

Morgana considered that as she set the relatively untouched glass down on the table between the chairs and took the bottle of water he offered.  Their fingers touched and she smiled in thanks to him.  “So you’re saying she’s just a friend.  She’s wonderful.  You never thought…  “Why not?””  Merlin shrugged. 

“I’m not her type.  She loves the big, unthinking brutes that she can manipulate with a smile because they think she’s poor, innocent little Guinevere.  I like… discussions.  Intellectual stimulation goes a long way with me, because… well…”  He gestured to his thin body depreciatingly and shrugged again.  “I’m not the bruiser type.”  Morgana conceded the point with a tilt of her head.  The firelight caught her glasses and Merlin sat back in the chair as she smiled intimately at him. 

“Intelligence can be sexy, to the right audience.”  He glanced down at her art portfolio and then back up to her glasses. 

“Yes, I won’t argue about that.  But there’s a big difference between sexy and beautiful.  Not that beautiful women can’t be sexy, or that sexy women can’t be beautiful, but I mean, in the essence of the individual woman…”  Morgana found herself leaning forward toward him.  She took another swig of water from the bottle and then picked up her martini glass again.  This one was rimmed in sugar crystals that tasted strongly of tart apple, made even sharper by a twist of lemon rind in the glass.  It was strong, but the water had cleared her head a little, even if only in the interim. 

“So, tell me.  I’m intrigued.  What’s the difference?  Which type do you prefer?”  Merlin’s mouth arched up in a half smile and he shook his head as his tongue danced over his teeth, in indecision or just deep in thought.  He licked his lips and dragged his teeth over his bottom lip in a little motion that somehow brought to the fore how appealing he looked in the firelight. 

“It’s not a preference.  More what I have to admit I’m attracted to, I suppose.”  She motioned for him to go on, and his lip twisted in that humour filled smirk again.  “Alright.  Sexy affects you on a base level.  That animal side to you that makes you look at someone on a purely superficial level.”  His eyes roved over her and his open mouth breathed her in and Morgana cleared her throat as she recrossed her legs and Merlin’s low, hungry “hmm” made her twist in her seat.  His eyes devoured her and she smiled open mouthed against the rim of the glass, biting off the tangy sugar crust.

“Hmmm?”  Merlin stared at her, and his eyes dropped to her lips. 

“Beautiful reaches inside you.  It enhances a person, makes you nervous.  Makes you question whether you’re worthy of their attention.  Their attraction.  Sexy makes you want _them_.  Beautiful makes you want _them_ to want _you_.”  She put the glass down and tilted her head up, licking her lips and pushing her glasses back up towards her face.  Merlin ran a hand over his chin and cheek, and she could hear the rasp of his stubble against his palm. 

“Just that simple, is it?”  His smile took on a slightly naughty lilt to it that had her own lip caught between her teeth, drawing his eyes as she breathed slowly.

“Infinitely complicated in every delicious way, actually.”  She looked at his lips. 

“So what am I, then?”  Her whisper was husky and his cheeks burned rosily as the blush instantly climbed up.  Her lips parted and she slowly swallowed nervously.  Merlin stared at her, hunger and desire burning in his eyes. 

“So far out of my league it’s probably gonna kill me to want you this much and not…”  He shook his head and she reached out, putting a hand near his knee and dragging a finger across it, just that single finger.  His hand touched hers and curled around her fingers.  He met her eyes and opened his mouth, but Morgana shook her head.  He didn’t speak then, but stared, first at her eyes, then at her lips.  The fires burned low behind them and lit them both in orange light.  Morgana watched everything play across his face.  Want.  Fear.  Doubt.  Need.  Over and over again.  He stared at her lips and up at her eyes again as she leaned in closer.  Her hand moved towards his again and she knocked over the glass full of apple martini between them.  The icy sludge brought the glass heavily over the side, spilling the electric green fluid down and over the tiles.  Merlin deftly caught the stem and saved the glass, but the moment was broken between them.  His face twisted in frustration and anguish and Morgana completely understood.  The pre-drinks and the martinis had betrayed her Irish stamina, and she put a hand to her head, embarrassed.  Merlin softly forgave her and headed to the bar to return the glass.  When he got back, she was gone leaving behind the half empty water bottle.  Merlin sighed and shook his head in bereavement. 

“Nice one, Merlin.  First girl you’ve like in years and you act like a stupid schoolboy with a crush.”  He sat down in the chair again and sighed, feeling the heat against the back of his neck as he refuelled the fire with the neatly stacked wooden logs behind the screen.  He idly spun the table and it caught on something, dragging it out into the light.  Merlin picked up the folio and stared at it before he looked thoughtfully back out towards the elevator. 

 

* * *

 

  Morgana woke suddenly the following morning, throwing the covers back and racing for the ensuite bathroom which she almost didn’t make.  Her roiling head and warring stomach failed to come to terms, and as she collapsed in front of the bowl, she threw up a bright green fountain.  Disconsolately pushing her hair out of her face, she eyed the green sheen on her thick strands with disgust even as she felt her stomach clench again.  Her head throbbed and she breathed shallowly as she pulled the leaver on the cistern.  The water rushed around and sank the green mess with it and Morgana rolled over, eyeing the shower unhappily.  She sat up and quickly rolled back over to the toilet bowl again as the room spun.  Her stomach heaved in protest and she felt it coming out of her nose as her whole body reacted.  There was a knock at the door and she flushed the toilet. 

“Much prefer to be nice, so please go away.”

“It’s Arthur.”

“I don’t care if it’s fucking Ghandi.  You and the little holy man can both fuck off.”  He laughed lowly on the other side of the door. 

“That’s not very nice, Morgana.”

“I did offer “nice”, and you didn’t go away.  I’m not precisely feeling magnanimous right now.”  Arthur tried the door, but she must have locked it in her self-pitying stupor last night.   Kudos to drunk her, thought Morgana.

“It’s important.  I need to talk to you.”  Morgana groaned and dragged herself to her feet, angrily stomping to the door without bothering to wipe her mouth.  She unlocked it with a snap and ripped the door open.  Arthur stood there in the same clothing he’d worn last night.  There was a slight tear in the collar and lipstick marks near his ribs.  He couldn’t help the last that escaped him as he looked at his sister.  Her dress was in disarray and she’d drawn her pyjama bottoms up over the top of them, merging somewhere between little girl and party queen.  His eyes locked onto the green hue of her chin and the smell of apple juice.

“You look like shit.” 

“You know how to make a girl feel so much better about herself, Arthur.”  She turned away as he sauntered in, shutting the door behind him.  Morgana stopped in the middle of her room, torn between the comfort of the bed and the safety of the toilet.  Her stomach rumbled unhappily and she went and sat in the bathroom on the edge of the spa, her head in her hands.  Arthur grabbed a glass and filled it, handing it to her wordlessly.  She drank and felt the water hit her stomach and rebel for a moment before calming.  She drank more and finished the glass with a grimace. 

“I need to brush to my teeth.”  He moved away from the basin and she tended to it, brushing with vigour and scrubbing away the horrible taste of the green bile.  She took in his appearance and shook her head as she took a mouthful of water and sloshed it around her mouth, dislodging the remains of her stomach’s protest. 

“’id yoo juh get hom?” she mouthed around her gurgle as she continued to slosh her mouth with the biting mint flavour of the paste.  Arthur laughed soundlessly and took her folio out from under his arm, where she hadn’t noticed it.  He held it up and put it on the chest of drawers just outside the bathroom door.  Morgana’s pale features had him lifting the toilet seat again, but she shook her head and spat out into the basin and rinsed.  She mouthed a fresh, dry hand towel and turned back to lean against the basin, facing him.  “Um…”

“Yes, I’m just getting home.  Yes, I spent the night with Gwen, and realised that I hadn’t seen you after about midnight, I think?  I’m not sure, it’s all a bit hazy, which is funny considering I didn’t have a drink.  But imagine my surprise at getting home this morning and finding Merlin pacing out the front.”  Morgana cupped her hands in front of her and didn’t meet his eyes.  “Want to tell me what happened that got the both of you so flustered that he wouldn’t set foot on the property and you ran out and caught a cab without even telling me you were going?”  She looked away.

“Nothing happened.”  His eyebrow rose and she closed her eyes.  “Nothing actually happened, Arthur.  That’s the problem.  It did and it didn’t.”  Arthur turned around and spread his arms wide in a short bark of laughter.

“How have you needlessly complicated things now, Morgana?  He’s a boy, you’re a girl, I’m sure you can figure out the mechanics…”  Morgana looked pained and stricken and he trailed off, lowering his arms and cursing himself for a fool.

“Oh.  You like him.”  Morgana nodded soundlessly.  Arthur fell silent as he considered this.  “Does he like you?”  She scoffed and turned away, twisting the hand towel in her hands. 

“After I listened to him tell me that he was a decent guy interested in more than just a shag, and I threw myself at him like a drunken whore?  Probably not.”  Arthur frowned, dubious.

“Nothing happened though, you said.  I have a hard time believing that he’d just say no to you, Morgana.  You polished up okay last night, I guess.  For a dork.  Hard for a geek like him to say no.”  She shook her head at his backhanded compliment and glared at him challengingly. 

“I panted after him like a bitch after a bone, Arthur.  It was like I couldn’t help myself.  I wanted him, and badly.  I acted like a complete slut, trying to get into his pants.  No thanks.  I think I want to go back to bed now and never think about him ever again.”  Arthur pursed his lips, tapping his chin and shrugged dramatically. 

“Then I guess you won’t want his apology letter.”  She turned to him in surprise and he gave a short laugh.  “Yeah, totally.  He actually wrote you a letter, on paper and everything.  I didn’t know people still did that.  With a pen, I mean.”  He moved back out the bathroom and handed her the folio, which held a folded letter with her name written on it in azure ink, cursively written as though from a calligraphy pen.  She opened it cautiously.

**_Dear Morgana._ **

**_I wanted to apologize.  I know I offended you, and I wanted to spare you the indignity of having to come back once you realised you’d left your folio behind._ **

**_I always hated Cinderella, because there are so many people that can fit a shoe size.  So I’m giving you back your glass slipper, acknowledging that I had to no right to look at something so personal to you._ **

**_But I couldn’t resist.  I know that it wasn’t right, the things I did.  I don’t know what happened._ **

**_It’s like some kind of magic just made me want to be a moron and just for once, try and be someone I’m not.  I’m not confident.  I’m awkward._ **

**_That’s a lot of the reason why I was just a silent partner with Elyan and Gwen.  They’re the people persons, and I’m not.  I wish I could have been charming and not come off as a sleazy idiot.  It’s not how I wanted to come across at all.  I was afraid that if I just let you know that I liked you that you would brush it off.  I’m sure you get a thousand proposals a day, and from people a lot more attractive.  I’m doing the self-pity thing again, I know.  I’m sorry. I’ve never written a letter that seemed as important as this._ **

**_I’m returning the folio.  I’ve looked in it.  Your work is beautiful.  More beautiful than anything I’ve ever seen._ **

**_I_ ** **_draw in straight lines, mainly.  I draw buildings and I write reports, and everything’s black and white._ **

**_Y_ ** **_ou brought colour to my eyes in a single evening, and I can’t express what a gift it is._ **

**_So thank you.  I hope you keep making things beautiful._ **

**_It’s your gift, and it’s amazing._ **

**_Your friend,_ **

**_“Merlin”_ **

She looked up and lifted it hollowly.  Arthur read it quickly and then a second time. 

“Hell of an apology for “nothing.””  She shook her head in wonder. 

“How did you meet him?  What work did he do for you?”  Arthur smiled widely then, pleased.

“He didn’t tell you.  Bugger me, I thought he wouldn’t be able to resist you if you asked him.”  Morgana foggily remembered something along those lines, but groaned in shame as she remembered how easily she’d tried to seduce him into telling her.  Arthur shook his head slowly, smiling.  “Do you remember when I went off the rails a bit, back at Cambridge?”  She nodded.  Arthur looked shame faced. 

“Part of that was sleeping with his girlfriend at the time.”  Her eyes widened, not at the revelation of his antics, which she’d always known about, but just how deep Merlin’s forgiveness ran.  Arthur shook his head. 

“Father had sent me off to become this warrior businessman, and I wasn’t handling it well.  The night I left, Father was drunk, far worse than anything I’d seen in a while.  He said it was my fault that my mother was dead.  So I wasn’t in a good way.  I did a lot of things I shouldn’t have.”  Morgana could imagine.  All the dark thoughts swirling around in him, driving him to feel more and more, and indulge the sullen rage that came with all Pendragons.  She’d picked it up too, which was worrisome. 

“And Merlin?” she prompted.

“Merlin,” Arthur sighed.  “Was already a prodigal renaissance man.  Architect and Psychology whiz kid.  Business analyst.  And complete wallflower.  He and Nimueh came from the same town.  They’d been childhood sweethearts, but she was a bit more dark than he was.  She’d had a bad childhood and Merlin was the good guy that rescued her from it.  Unfortunately, the attention seeking part reared its head more often than not, and she wound up at a party, without him, but near me.  So that happened.”  He winced and she screwed up her face in disgust.

“Morgause’s Nimueh?”  Arthur nodded. 

“She hooked up with Morgause after she left.  Merlin broke up with her after I’d… well, be there, I mean that was just the end of a long list of problems, I think.  Her parents came to the school and picked her up.  She always blamed Merlin for that.  But he didn’t blame me.”  There was a soft wonder to his face as he spoke about the black haired young man, and Morgana slowly realized just how much Arthur thought of him.  “He came and sat with me after exams that year.  He didn’t get angry, he didn’t hate me.  He just asked why.  And I didn’t know.  So we talked until I understood why.”  Morgana smiled softly at the thought of Merlin gently speaking with Arthur, who barely registered emotions, let alone admitted them.  “He spent the next two years helping me through everything I’d ever done wrong and bottled up.  He was a genius, even then, when it came to it.”  He shook himself out of his reverie and looked at her with a smile on his face. 

“I remember how changed you were when you came home.  “Best well spent education,”” she quoted Uther’s celebrations that weekend when he’d come home, a changed man.  Arthur nodded. 

“He left then, Merlin I mean.  But we kept in touch a bit.  Still, I hadn’t expected to see his name on a published book, especially when I got home to my dear sister.”  He trailed off and Morgana’s brow furrowed as he nodded.  “Merlin’s real name is Merryn Emmerys, Morgana.  You’re reading his book.”  She didn’t know quite how to take that, until Arthur shrugged.  “Revelations aside, Merlin finished school, packed up and left to go home.”  He frowned then, and looked at the letter in his hand.  “Merlin was from some hokey little town near the border.  Same one Gaius came from.”  Morgana blinked in confusion.

“Old Gaius that used to come here when were little?  The Doctor?”  Arthur was staring at the letter in his hand with a sudden furious intensity.  Morgana reached for it.  “Elyan.  Gwen.  Son of a bitch.”  He handed her the letter and turned back to the door.  Morgana followed him for a moment as he muttered into his hands. 

“What’s wrong?”  Arthur stared at her as if she was a stranger, lost in thought. 

“What?” 

“You’re muttering like a madman.” 

“Oh.”  He waved a hand.  “Sorry, just thinking.  It happens,” he smiled ruefully.  “What are you plans for the day?”  Morgana stared at the letter in her hands. 

“First, I’m going to take a long shower.  And then I’m going to go and see a man about a letter.”  Arthur smiled at her, and noticed that there was a smudge of lipstick on his teeth to match the shade on his shirt. 

“I suggest you do the same.  Seeing as you’re wearing half of Gwen still from last night.”  He blushed right to the tips of his blond hair and rubbed his ear with his right hand.  More of the pale pink came away from behind his ear and his face burned a darker red.  Morgana headed back to the bathroom, feeling much better about herself.

“Take her shopping, Arthur.  Two words for you kinky cats…  “Colour Stay.””  Arthur grinned as he shut the door.  Morgana turned on the water in the huge shower, smiling to herself. 

 

* * *

 

 

Merlin tapped the surface of the bar that Lance was polishing.  “Any word from Gwen?”  Merlin shook his head and the eagerness died a little in the drink showman’s face.  It was no secret that he fancied her, and until this morning, he’d have thought she was interested in him, too.  He was part poet, part Lothario and part bruiser; just her type. 

“She sent me a very groggy text this morning, apologizing for leaving early.  It didn’t really matter, she’d been up all day preparing the place anyway.  I don’t know why she stayed as long as she did.”  Elyan came around the end of the bar with a huge black dish rack full of shiningly clean glasses. 

“She was super excited about meeting someone.  Some woman artist she liked.”  Merlin grunted and looked down at the bar again wordlessly.  Lance smiled at Elyan as the doors opened and closed at the entranceway.  There were still plenty of people sitting at the chairs and reading, or drinking hot beverages and talking with friends.  The new business was off to its fledgling best, and the opening night had been a rousing success.  Merlin steeled himself and looked at Elyan. 

“Have you banked the receipts from last night?”  The smiling black man threw a tea towel over his shoulder and pushed the rack in under the bench, where the others already lay, ready for use. 

“Already done, Merlin.  You do know what being a _silent_ partner entails, right?”  Merlin nodded. 

“I’m… you’re right, Elyan.  You’re completely capable of everything Gwen does, I know.  I’m sorry,” he apologised with a smile.  “I’m a little bit out of sorts.”

“Not as much as you’re about to be,” murmured Lance, who was looking behind him.

“Hi.”  Merlin turned around and blinked, open mouthed and stunned as Morgana smiled demurely at him.  He moved his head and his mouth worked, but he couldn’t get any words out.  Morgana’s smile widened as he floundered in front of her.  Lance leaned forwards and tapped him on the shoulder.

“The correct response is “hello” back or something along those lines, Goldfish.”  Merlin turned back, still stiff and clipping his mouth closed with a snap. 

“Thank you, Lance.  I believe the garbage chute might need cleaning.”  Lance laughed and glanced at Elyan, who shrugged and nodded.  Lance through his apron down with a sigh and Elyan grinned at him.  Merlin turned back at stared at Morgana again.

“Hi.”  He breathed.  Somehow, she was more appealing in the morning light dressed casually than she had been last night.  The dress had been breathtaking, especially in the firelight.  She wore the same reading glasses now, but she wore a white knitted jumper over a singlet and ripped jeans. Her feet were encased in well-worn boots with a thick heel that meant she was only a couple of inches shorter than Merlin.  He took her in in a glance and breathed out slowly, trying not to gawk.  He looked down at his own casual blue jeans and black windcheater and spread his hands wide in apology.  She waved it away and stared at him for a long time.  Elyan moved behind them and touched Merlin on the shoulder. 

“If you’d like to head off, Merlin, I’ve got this.  I’ll cover until Kara gets in, alright?”  Merlin nodded as Morgana tilted her head towards the door invitingly, and he moved off the counter.

“Yeah, mate, thanks.”  He led them out onto the streets and held the door for her.  They began walking down the roadside and Morgana pulled a knitted beanie out of her back pocket.  Merlin followed suit with a pair of expensive leather gloves, which he blew into to warm them, and offered them to her.  Morgana smiled and slipped them on, feeling the deerskin cling to her hands comfortingly. 

“I saw Arthur this morning.  I gave him your folio.”  He immediately cursed the nerves that tightened his throat and made him blurt it out.  But her smile overcame that almost immediately. 

“I know.  It’s partly why I’m here.  I wanted to tell you that you didn’t have to apologise for it.  You didn’t do anything wrong.” 

“I… I-I…”  He shook his head with a sigh.  He opened his mouth with a frustrated gesture and closed his eyes as he gave a short disbelieving laugh.  “Honestly, you’d never believe I was eloquent enough to write that letter, would you?  I’m glad I could write it, because I certainly can’t say it.”  Morgana veered them off the roadside and through a park ground, where she tucked her opposite hand into her pocket.  The other hand lay against her thigh, near Merlin’s dangling fingers. 

“It was beautiful, really nice,” she offered in a low voice.  Merlin reached out to touch her fingers, encased in the soft leather and she turned to him.  He looked at her openly and took several steadying breaths.

“The reason I’m so bad at this… is because I haven’t even noticed… really… **_anyone_**.  F-for a long time.  And then, not only did you just… be there… but you seemed to like who I was.  And that scared me.”  Morgana shifted a bit, fighting the smile on her face. 

“You… were scared of me?”  He nodded and she moved a little, a tiny bounce in her step as she moved onto her toes for a moment and then rocked back.  Her wide smile under her beanie was infectious.  “So the whole drunk come-on thing… it wasn’t…?”  He shook his head vehemently. 

“I wasn’t drunk, I’m just really bad at flirty… stuff.”  She smiled again and brought their joined hands up and touched her chest, not letting his fingers go and washing the breath from her smile over his knuckles. 

“I meant me, Merlin.  My drunken come ones, when I was trying to flirt with you?”  He stared at her and his mouth opened and closed again.  “You’re telling me you didn’t notice?”

“Really bad at the flirty…” he said, softly.   She gave a rich laugh and he smiled at her in wonder.

“Stuff, yeah, you said.”  They began to walk through the park again, arms bumping against one another companionably. 

“But… why would **_YOU_** … want to flirt with **_ME_**?”  His incredulous tone brought another rich laugh to her, and she leaned in, holding his shoulder as he patted her hands, even as he could feel them shaking from the cold. 

“It’s not that difficult, Merlin.  You see me.  You noticed me.  Not the money, or the…”  She blushed.  “The body.”  Merlin pursed his lips.

“Hate to disappoint you there.  But I definitely noticed that.  I’m not dead.”  She breathed out through her smile again and shook her head.  She let go of his arm and held his jaw firm in her fingertips. 

“What colour are my boots?”  He went to look down instinctively and she held his head. 

“Brown.  Like thick coffee or milk chocolate.”  He was obviously confused.

“And last night?”

“You didn’t wear boots.  Thin, strappy things, high heeled to go with that dress.” 

“Hair up or down?”

“Down,” he answered, his voice an octave lower.  She paused at that, suddenly realising as he did that she was very close to him, holding his face toward her.  Her heels gave her extra height enough that she was almost on part with his lips, which parted as he licked them, drawing her scent over his wet lips.  Morgana felt a heat burgeon across the small of her back.  He liked her hair.  She tilted her head to the side and watched his face blanch as she smiled encouragingly at him. 

“Contacts?”  He shook his head slowly.

“Glasses.  Same ones,” he murmured, leaning his chin forward and coming within an extra couple of centimetres of her lips. “But different perfume.”  She smiled wide and shook her head sadly, her hair lifting up on her jumper. 

“I’m not wearing any perfume, Merlin.”  He boldly moved forwards, holding himself back from her with barely any space between them and inhaled deeply. 

“Then you never should, because you smell better now than you did last night.”  She stared at him and smiled. 

“You see me, Merlin.  And I want to try this, without any drinks to bolster either of us.”  She lowered her face down, but lifted her eyes to his, catching and holding him there.  “Whatever this thing that’s happened between us is, it’s happened fast and intense.  It’s new and scary, so we should take this slow.  Now.  What do you say?”  Her voice was calm, but her eyes were wide, and Merlin did his best to show that he was considering it. 

“Marry me.”  He grinned at her and she burst out laughing. 

“That’s not exactly as slow as I was thinking, Merlin.”  Her nodded ruefully. 

“Well then.  Morgana.”  He came up close to her and she felt his hand snake around her waist.  She breathed in deeply, feeling the burning ache for him deep in her chest.  He looked at her seriously, his smile gone except for his eyes, which burned with passion and need.  “I wanna date the living hell out of you.  Would you be my partner in crime, even if it’s only for the one date it will take for you to realise that you’re way, way, WAY out of my league?”  Her eyes narrowed. 

“Rule One.  There are no leagues.  You like me.  Let me like you back.  So.  Stop saying that.”  Merlin grinned cheekily at her. 

“Make me.  I can’t believe you’re already making up rule…”  She kissed him, cutting him off as her cold lips joined his.  The kiss seared suddenly and he opened his mouth, his hands sliding up the back of her neck and into the hair he was so spellbound by.  The kiss was deep and immediate, filled with need that broke them apart only when they both ran out of breath.  Merlin panted in disbelief as he touched his lips.  “Wow, yeah, okay.  That’s pretty, um… wow.  Yeah.”  Morgana bit her bottom lip and held out her hand.  He put his in hers and led them out of the park slowly.  He couldn’t stop grinning, and she squeezed his hand, drawing his eyes to her. 

“Where to from here?”  She shrugged, not caring. 

“Does it matter?”  He shook his head as he grinned. 

“Not in the slightest.  Let’s just… walk and talk?”  Morgana gave a short laugh, staring at him, her eyes bright at the thought.

“Really?” 

“Yeah.  Really.  I’ll buy dinner, you buy lunch.  We’ll swap coffees.”  He shrugged.  “How’s that for starters, Miss Independent?”  Morgana bit her lip as she sidled up closer to him and began to kiss him again.

“Sounds like a good place to start.”

 


	2. Temperance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Three months later, and Merlin and Morgana are still going strong, but things aren't exactly as they would both would like.   
> With a little help from Arwen, things get to settle down and keep going strong.

 “Seriously, three months, no sex?  He’s a eunuch.” 

Arthur leaned against the doorway and grinned at Morgana.  He’d just gotten back from a trip away for the weekend and had come straight up to see Morgana.  She’d almost been certain that it would be about Merlin, given that Merlin had slipped up at Passions and told Gwen that they’d not made love yet.  It was a delicate situation, and he’d been irritable because Lance and Elyan had been on his case.  Morgana had half-hoped Gwen wouldn’t say anything, but then, Gwen wouldn’t have done it maliciously.  It would have been out of concern coming from her.  She frowned as Arthur laughed coarsely.  Arthur’s mirth shone through and Morgana crossed her arms in front of her. 

“He is most definitely NOT a eunuch.”  Arthur held up three fingers. 

“Three months, no sex.  It’s fallen off him.  Have you been watching Game Of Thrones?  I’ll call him Reek…”  Morgana closed her laptop and glared at him. 

“There ARE other things besides sex, Arthur, not that you’d know…  you and Gwen have been having enough for a dozen couples.”  Arthur grinned shamelessly for a moment.  He was really getting under Morgana’s skin, more so than he’d done in years.  It was really hitting a sore spot.  As the closest thing to family she had near her own age, it was his duty to point it out to her. 

“Seriously though, does he pee sitting down?”  Morgana’s eyes blazed but her lip quirked smugly.

“At least he hits the bowl,” she smiled sweetly, as if to a child.  Arthur lifted a hand up to stall her, though it didn’t work.

“Now that…”

“Is bang on target?  At least something is.”  Arthur threw his hands in the air.

“Bloody girls, you always have to go below the belt, don’t you?”  Morgana modestly gave him the finger.  Arthur’s laugh faded away as he sat on the foot of the bed. 

“Seriously though.  You guys okay?”  Morgana hugged a pillow to her chest and shook her head. 

“It’s not him.  Not totally I mean.”  Arthur winced. 

“Morgana, look, in all seriousness, if you don’t like him…?”  He trailed off and Morgana looked up, stricken.  “Well, he’s still my friend, that’s all, and if you’re just…”  Fire lit her eyes and her fingers clawed into nails in the pillow. 

“If I were playing with him, I’d have treated him like you treated so many other impressionable…”  He held up his hands, shaking his head.

“That’s going too far, Morgana.  Come on, be reasonable, I haven’t been “that guy” in, well, months.  You know how things changed for me when I met Gwen.”  Morgana sighed and tilted her head, grimacing.

“I know.  I’m sorry.    I’m being a bitch.  He’s just… I’m…  he makes me nervous.”  Arthur’s confusion showed on his face.

“What you mean?”

“I don’t want to stuff this up, Arthur,” Morgana admitted quietly.  “I asked him to wait and not put pressure on me, because of the last few guys I’ve been with.  That was all they wanted and I got hurt.  So…  He’s doing what I asked him to do.”  Arthur took that in. 

“Okay.  But why?”  Morgana went back to wringing her hands in the pillow.

“Because he’s… different.”  Arthur nodded.

“Eunuch is the politically correct term, I think.”  Morgana held her silence.  Arthur looked closer at her.  “Bloody hell.  Okay, look, what’s going on?  Seriously.”  Morgana chewed her fingernail nervously for a moment. 

“I’ve been waiting.  I wanted to know that it… I wanted it to be about more than just how much we wanted one another.  That there was more than just chemistry like you wouldn’t imagine.”  Arthur made a face and gestured for her to go on. 

“And?” 

“And now I’m… I mean, what if… things might change between us?  Arthur…  I can’t tell you how much he means to me.”  Arthur scoffed after a moment.

“Jesus.  You’ve waited so long now you’re worried that you’re not gonna be god enough for him.  You DO like him…”  Morgana met her brother’s teasing features stoically. 

“No, Arthur.  I’m very much head over heels in love with him.”  Arthur shrugged.

“So what’s stopping you?”  She copied his gesture.

“Nothing, really.  Just… second guessing myself.  Overthinking.”  Arthur threw his hands wide in exasperation. 

“I don’t understand you at all, Morgana.”  Angrily all of a sudden, Morgana got off the bed and paced her room. 

“Look, Arthur, just… trust me.  This is hard for me.  We’re having a house warming tonight for his new place, just the two of us.  Don’t think for a moment I’m doing this because of your prat mouth, but I don’t think I can do this much longer.  Anticipation is all well and good, but whatever is happening between us, there’s so much…”  She looked her brother straight in the eye.  “I want him so much I can’t stand it.  I seriously just get weak kneed when he’s in the room.  It’s all I can do to not just rip his clothes off and demand he take me right then and there.”  Arthur lifted his hands, not seeing her point but wanting her to stop the details.

“And?  You’ve been alone with him bef…  Oh,” he trailed off.  “You’ve only been to the flat before.”  Merlin had shared a flat with Elyan and Lance while he was waiting for his house to be built off Riverland Rise.  Uther had looked at the properties there when they were old and dilapidated but had neglected to develop any property there.  Merlin hadn’t, and it had flourished by chance and become one of the more trendy suburbs to build in.  He’d moved in a fortnight ago and had been unpacking boxes steadily.  They’d decided on a quiet dinner date at the new place, before it became too “lived in” as Merlin had put it.  Aside from that, Morgana had emboldened herself to the stage where she had hinted to Merlin that tonight might be an appropriate night for them, given that it was their first night alone together.  That was the excuse, anyway.  The housewarming was on Friday night, involving several business associates of Merlins interested in the expansion of his private hobby into another area of his personal business ventures; his creative architecture branch showing off his skills to possible real estate investors.  Morgana had several pieces on the wall already for him to display.  But tonight was a different matter entirely.  Far removed from business, this was the more personal matter.  A private tour of the house.  Ending perhaps in the bedroom.  Morgana was tired of waiting.  But just because she wanted Merlin more than she could stand, didn’t mean that it made it uncomplicated.  It was BECAUSE of how much she wanted him that she was so concerned.  What might she be giving up?  Would she lose who she was if she just let Merlin make her his? 

“Look, believe me, Arthur, I want… tonight.  But…”  she trailed off in the insecurity and uncertainty that had plagued her over the last week or more.  Arthur, in an uncharacteristic gentleness, nodded in understanding. 

“You’re used to not having that intimacy and still getting everything else you want from the relationship.  You’re worried it might stuff things up now that you’re used to it.” 

“This is going to sound really stupid, Arthur,” she admitted.  He gestured for her to go on.

“Part of the reason for no sex is because of how badly I want to have him.  I mean it.  I can’t begin to describe how hard I want him, Arthur.”  He winced playfully.

“Awkward much…  So…  I’ll ask again.  What’s stopping you?  What are you afraid of?”  Morgana shook her head.

“Fuck, I don’t know.  Not caring if he hurts me?  Letting him hurt me because of how much I want him?  Being vulnerable to someone is one thing, but opening yourself up like that?  I would literally let him do whatever he wanted to me, Arthur, do you understand that?  That’s how bad I want him.  I’m…  I’ve never been this happy.  I don’t understand it.  It terrifies me, but I’m holding onto it for as long as I can.  I’m just… what happens if we sleep together and then that’s it, it’s all done and he’s off and gone?”  Arthur shook his head concisely but refrained from discounting her fears.  Merlin was his friend, but Morgana was like a sister.

“There’s only one way to find out, really.  Don’t sleep with him.  But if you know Merlin, you know he’s not really like that.”  Morgana stared blankly at him before she let a small smile shine.

“Merlin would wait forever for me,” she declared with certainty.  Arthur grinned at her like she’d just won his argument for him.

“Yeah, he would.”  He grinned broadly and Morgana shared his sudden elation.

“I’m glad we can talk, Arthur.”  He nodded as she sat down on the bed again, decision made. 

“So am I.  You might not be my blood, but you’re my sister in every way that counts to me.”  They shared another smile.

“Good.  Now get out.  I have to get ready for tonight.”  Arthur looked incredulously at his watch. 

“You’re joking.  It’s only just after lunch!”  Morgana nodded, her face deadly serious.

“I know.  I’ve only got four hours before I have to leave.  You’re going to have to keep away from Gwen for a couple of hours.”

“I’m what now?”  Morgana smiled winsomely at him and held up her phone, showing texts from Gwen telling her she was pulling up outside.  “If this is about a threesome thing…”  Morgana shuddered.

“You’re so gross, Arthur.”  He favoured her with his lopsided grin. 

“You love me anyway.” 

“Don’t remind me.”  A shadow moved under the door as Gwen came through, ending any attention that Morgana might have gotten from Arthur. 

“He’d forget anyway.  I got your text, Morgana, what’s up?” 

“We have preparations.  Say goodbye.”  She waved her hand at Arthur, who stood up and kissed Gwen soundly.  His affections moved from soundly to thoroughly, until she pushed him back regretfully to his pout.

“I know, I know, but I promised Morgana I’d help…”

“I can help, you know…”  He leaned in to keep kissing her playfully, and Gwen squealed with laughter as she pushed him away.

“Don’t you have to go run your…  what is it you do again, spunky?”  He grinned with bright eyes.

“I run a multinational…  spunky?”  Gwen smirked at him playfully as he pretended outrage. 

“I think you’re cute,” she murmured, bringing him closer to her even as she pushed him out the door. 

“AAAAAAAANNNNNNND I’m about to rid myself of lunch…  shall we?”  Gwen kissed Arthur quickly and shut the door on his face, leaning back against it and breathing out slowly.  Arthur huffed outside for a moment and Gwen laughed helplessly and shook her curls.  Morgana opened her walk-in and looked back out at her.  “So…  where do we begin?”

“Alright,” began Gwen.  “Where are we?  More to the point, where are you?  Now, I mean, you and Merlin?”  Gwen knew all about their issue, so it was more meaningfully unspoken than with Arthur. 

“We are at…  seduction.  But GENTEEL seduction.  A Lady.  Invoking the interests of her man without making a lustful stupor of him.”  Gwen laughed. 

“Well, that’s… specific.  Appealing but not alluring?”  Morgana thought about that.

“A little alluring.”  She gestured to herself and then sniffed loftily.  “Appealing and available, with just the hint of naughty promise.”  Gwen frowned as she thought about that.

“Stop trying to be wine.  Are we going formal or not formal?”  Morgana raised her shoulders slowly in an uncertain shrug.

“He’s cooking…?” she offered.  Gwen smirked. 

“Then you’re in trouble, luv.”  Morgana walked into the walk in and looked about, casting her eye over her clothes. 

“Me?  Why am I in trouble?” she asked distractedly, pulling out several shirts and putting them back.  She turned around and stared at the dresses. 

“Because you haven’t tasted his cooking.”  Morgana smiled to herself.

“I have, actually.  He cooked lettuce cups one night.  It didn’t end well.  Kilgharrah got most of it because I insisted on using chopsticks.”  Merlin had offered her his, and she’s promptly dropped them too.  He’s sighed and ordered pizza, though she let him pick the show they would watch instead of insisting on QI.  Now she was a newly minted Browncoat.

“That’s not the same as some of his other meals.  Do you know what he’s cooking?”  Morgana pulled out a dress and held it up, trying to decide.  The dark maroon looked good against her pale skin, but it also announced louder than words that she was a woman with appetites.  She wanted to be slightly less naughty and more appealing.  She put the dress back.

“Lamb, he said.”  Gwen scoffed quietly.

“That’ll be the cutlets.  Don’t bother with panties.”  Morgana gave a shocked laugh.

“Gwen,” she scalded.  “I’m truly shocked at you!”  Gwen grinned.

“Okay, okay, but you haven’t eaten them.  Seriously, his top five dishes are so good there are times I nearly tried to claw my way out of the friendzone…”  She trailed off and looked at Morgana guiltily.  Morgana came out of the walk-in and sat down on the bed slowly.  Gwen shook her head slowly.

“Gwen, I…  I didn’t know.”  Her hushed voice was enough to make Gwen shrug, unconcerned. 

“It didn’t need to be said.  I was just…  Merlin’s my friend.  It’s been years since I wanted him as anything more, but I won’t lie; there was a time, a long time ago, when…  But I mean now it would be like dating Elyan.”  She made a face and Morgana gave her a commiserating smile. 

“If it helps…  I really like him, Gwen.  He makes me happy.  And I’ll do my best to make sure that he’s happy too.”  Gwen, still ashamed of her slip, waved a hand in the air. 

“I know.  And that suits, really, because he’s BEYOND in love with you.”  Morgana beamed suddenly. 

“Now THAT is something I can stand to hear a lot more about.”  Her smile faded slightly.  “Look, Gwen, if I’d known, I’d never has asked you…  I’m sorry.”  Gwen shook her head determinedly and leaned forwards, catching Morgana’s hands.

“Oh no, it’s fine, believe me.  I just…  I know what he likes about you.  I just don’t know how to get him to seal the deal with you.”  Morgana nodded, glad that they were able to most past it.  She shrugged helplessly. 

“You know, I’ve never been nervous before, about being with someone.  I was always in control.  I think that’s what scares me with Merlin.  I know that being with him, I won’t be in control.  And I’m completely fine with that.  And that’s the part that scares me.  I could just lay there and let him… you know.”  Gwen blushed and giggled, nodding towards her.

“I just can’t see Merlin being the aggressor, in that… you know…  like that?” Morgana pursed her lips, remembering a few taxi rides where he was most definitely enjoying using his hands.

“He might surprise you.”  Gwen shrugged, keeping her shoulders up in that way of hers. 

“Okay…  Morbid fascination makes me admit I’m a little curious, after all this time.  I actually thought he might be gay.”  Morgana laughed.

“Whatever gave you that idea?”  Gwen looked down at her hands.

“A few things,” she admitted, albeit defensively.  “Like before you came along, I’ve never even seen him with anyone.  I’d heard rumours about him and Nimueh when we were growing up, but she came back from the college without him and…  well, Arthur told me that he was with her, so I guess I just thought…”  Morgana squeezed her hand supportively.

“His taste has improved since then.”  Gwen smiled brightly then, and affected a superior air, though her kind eyes still smiled.

“Impeccably,” she sniffed.  Morgana grinned and touched a finger to her lips in thought.

“Well, I meant Merlin’s taste has improved, but Arthur’s has as well, definitely.”  Gwen winked at her and nodded.

“So… how are you feeling about tonight?  How do you plan on seducing him?”  It went without saying that it wasn’t going to be as easy as to simply offer herself to him.  She’d set the boundaries and Merlin had abided by them.  Chafed under them.  Chafed to the point where she was worried if she touched him in the wrong manner that he’d morph into a werewolf and attack her.  The thought made her smile.

“I think I need to go understated.  Not too over the top, but certainly more casual than not.”  Gwen pursed her lips, considering as she stared at Morgana’s wardrobe, willing it to solve their problems for them magically. 

“He DID fall for you with the formal librarian look you had going for you.”  Morgana smiled at the memory of the day after they’d met even more.

“More so the next day, in neat casual…”  Gwen nodded again.

“Okay, so how do you go understated with Merlin?  He’s such a mystery all the time.”  Morgana’s lips twitched.

“Go with what works then?  Emphasize what he likes?”  Gwen rolled her eyes and they both laughed.

“Sad to say, I actually know his favourites of your body parts… which completely makes him sound like a serial killer.”  Morgana couldn’t stop the eager gleam in her eyes. 

“He has favourites?”  Self-consciously, her hand went to her hair, which she knew he was especially fond of. 

“Well, things he concentrates on.” 

“Like what?”  Gwen shrugged, not answering and teasing Morgana’s eagerness.

“Eyes and hair,” she admitted, watching Morgana. 

“The hair I knew,” she admitted modestly.  “Not really conventional in his lusts, is he?”

“You can see why I thought he was gay.”  They shared a laugh again.

“Okay, so glasses and mascara, check.  Hair up?”  Morgana shook her head and ran her fingers through her hair. 

“Down.  Definitely down.  He…”  she blushed slightly and half smiled in wonder.  “He loves my hair.  He plays with it all the time.”  Gwen grinned.

“Okay.  Shoes?”  Morgana rubbed her ankles. 

“Something easy to slip out of.  Bare feet are the way to go, I think.  Besides, I’m not spending time on my legs and nails if I’m not showing them off.”  Gwen walked into the wardrobe and knelt down, sorting through options.

“Slip ons or boots?”  That stopped her for a moment, until she couldn’t contain the sudden, naughty smile. 

“Boots we might save for later.  I can’t abide leggings anyway.”  Gwen’s head popped out of the dimly lit wardrobe, hunting for the light switch.  Finding it, she glanced back towards Morgana, holding up the high heeled black boots that made her look like a cheap hooker.  Every look had it’s place. 

“I can lend you my leathers?”  Morgana shook her head as she laid down on the bed. 

“On you, leathers look comfortable and brilliant.  On me…  I don’t have your derriere.”  Gwen wiggled the aforementioned as she backed out of the closet, then stood up, holding a pair of designer jeans clipped and ripped with gourmet fraying. They clung like a second skin, but they also gave her definition and character where Merlin’s eyes had a tendency to wander.  

“Casual, street formal?  I have some acid washed jeans if you don’t want to wear these ones?”  Morgana nodded uncertainly, then shook her head. 

“They should be fine,” she said, getting up and opening up her chest of drawers.  She pulled out several singlets and finally a pale purple printed tee with “I believe in MAGIC!” complete with sparkles.  Gwen screwed up her nose.    Several others were pulled out and then discarded before a simple, half buttoned long sleeve collarless shirt was pulled out.  Morgana tucked it to her nose and folded it reverently on top of the chest.  Gwen’s eyes narrowed. 

“That’s his, isn’t it?”  Morgana nodded.  “You’re telling me you’re not thinking the easiest way to seduce him is to get him thinking about you already wearing his clothes?”  Morgana had always been far too independent for such possessiveness, and she didn’t fully understand Gwen’s sudden certainty. 

“Care to explain?”  Gwen shrugged.

“That’s why guys get so turned on by it, isn’t it?  Because it makes them think of you naked and grabbing whatever you can after you’ve had sex?  I can’t tell you the amount of times I’ve had to take Arthur’s old college jersey’s just to see the look on his face.” 

“Hmm.”  She blushed as she picked the shirt up again.  “I always thought it was like a territory thing, like branding…  Me Ug, You Uggess, You wear me clothes.”  They both laughed at the thought of Merlin acting like that.  Morgana’s laugh didn’t last long though, until she smiled softly.  “I took it because I liked thinking of him with me even when he wasn’t … “

“You’ve got it so bad.  Really, honestly bad.”  She lifted her nose from his shirt with a shrug.

“Well, my clothes won’t fit him.”  They shared another laugh and Gwen nodded matter-of-factly, ticking points off her fingers.  “Okay.  So.  Glasses.  Jeans.  His shirt.  Slip on’s to take off.  Jacket or jumper?”

Gwen shook her head.  “Jumper or cardigan?”  Morgana frowned.

“Cardigan?  I have no idea if you can seduce someone with a cardigan…”  Gwen looked extremely uncomfortable. 

“Okay.  Something off the shoulder.  He thinks your shoulders are…”  She trailed off and then shrugged helplessly.  “Nibble-able.”  Morgana’s eyebrows rose.  She hadn’t known that.

“Nibble-able?”  Gwen threw her hands in the air in gesture of resignation and sighed, putting her hands up to her forehead. 

“ “God, those collarbones, Gwen…,” she whined in a fair approximation of Merlin.  “I just want to…  gah…  she drives me crazy…”

“I COULD just go naked.” Morgana mused, pleased.  Gwen gave a short bark of laughter. 

“It would certainly cause a ruckus.  Hope you’re not taking a cab.” 

“I don’t want to look like a slob, like I’m not..  god, what if he answers the door in a suit?”

“If you’re thinking to outdress him straight up, well, big guns, sweetie.  What about the red number?”  Gwen had bought her a number of dresses, showing a surprising acumen for someone not used to frequenting art galleries or charity board meetings. The latest was a deep red wine coloured dress with gold adornments that made any chance to wear it a night to remember.   

“Think that would show off my collarbones enough,” she laughed.  “But what if it’s too much?  I mean, it would certainly let him know how serious I was about changing things up…”  Gwen took a deep breath and then her eyes lit up. 

“I guess it would help if we knew how seriously he’s taking tonight.  Does he know what you’re thinking about for the two of you tonight?  Morgana shook her head uncertainly.  The mocha beauty smiled and picked up her phone.

“Gwen,” questioned Morgana with scaling alarm.  “What are you doing?” 

“I’m sending a minion into battle.  We need inside information,” she grinned, knowingly.

* * *

 

∞₸∞

* * *

 

“You’re like two days early with this stuff, mate.”  Arthur shrugged as he backed down the driveway into the sunken garage.  He and Merlin were carrying a trolley loaded with alcohol for Merlin’s grand opening.  He’d imported some of the wines and Arthur had brought it back with him from his most recent trip.  The trolley came to a lurching halt near the huge twin door commercial fridge that Merlin had installed in his garage as a drink’s fridge.  They began to stack it neatly in the huge free-swinging doors. 

“Giggling gaggle of girls at home.  Had to get out.”  Merlin smiled as he began to pyramid stack the wine, laying the bottles flat. 

“No harm, no foul.  Isn’t a gaggle a flock of geese?”  Arthur smirked.

“Or Morgana and Gwen together.”  Merlin laughed quietly at that and Arthur opened the last six pack, which had been thrown in cold from when he grabbed refuelled.  He popped both caps and offered a bottle to Merlin, who shook his head, indicating the trolley they’d used to move the grog. 

“What are they giggling about?”  Merlin pushed the trolley back up the hill and loaded it into the back of Arthur’s car.  It was an expensive piece, and collapsed easily to fit in the trunk.  Arthur shrugged as he downed the beer and locked the car again.

“I have no idea.  Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad Gwen and Morgana made friends, it’s just sometimes, the combination scares me…”  Merlin dusted his hands off and took the proffered beer. 

“You’re smarter than you look.”  He saluted Arthur with the bottle and didn’t look him in the eye as he drank.

“Ha.” 

“I’m glad they hit it off.  I know it might take time away from you and Gwen, but I think Morgana really appreciates the friendship.  And Gwen’s an amazing friend.”  Arthur the rest of the sixpack and they made their way through the garage out to the small table at the rear garden.

“I know.  She’s never had a real girly friend before.”  Merlin grinned and drained the rest of his beer before leaning forwards and opening two more.

“Only you.  Don’t be too upset.  There are some things girls just need to talk to girls about.”  Arthur grinned and saluted Merlin again. 

“I’m glad we don’t have that kind of friendship.”  Merlin laughed and nodded, and Arthur conceded the point.  “Despite your fantasies, we’re not girls.” 

“Nothing wrong with fantasizing about girls, Merlin.  It’s when you fantasize about boys that I worry about you.”  He grinned triumphantly as Merlin laughed, dribbling some out of his mouth and brushing the escaped foam off his shirt front.  “So tonight’s the big night, huh?”  Merlin looked at him somewhat askance.

“That would be…?  The housewarming is on Friday, as you should well know, Arthur.”  The young blond nodded.

“Morgana coming over tonight, though… Right?”  Merlin’s lips pursed in disapproval for a split second. 

“Ah, right.  That’s why you’re here, isn’t it?”  Arthur shook his head.

“Morgana’s love life is her own,” he said sagely.  “I just got out of the house when the laughing started.  It’s fine when they laugh at you, but if they start laughing at ME…”  He smiled disarmingly.  Merlin didn’t return it.

“Gwen sent you.”  He didn’t bother to question it, and Arthur scowled and nodded. 

“Yeah, mate, okay, busted.  But don’t ruin their fun.  Morgana’s nervous enough as it is.”  Merlin’s eyes narrowed. 

“Why on earth would she be nervous?” he asked in clear exasperation.

“You.  Her.”  Arthur raised his eyebrows meaningfully.  “Alone…?”  Merlin shrugged, then stilled as the realisation came to him.

“Oh.  OH.”  His eyes widened.

“Yeah.”  Arthur drank again as Merlin paled then blushed and looked away.  “You know, Merlin, I never thought I’d say this to you.  But she’s my sister, you know.  My SISTER.”  Merlin looked back to him with a distant smile, but his eyes were like blue ice for a second as he looked at Arthur.

“Yes, Arthur.  She is.  So you should understand.”  His tone was more direct that Arthur had heard before, and completely unexpected. Arthur had been gearing up to do some kind of protective intentions speech. 

“Um… I should know what?”  Merlin smiled softly, looking out over the landscaped gardens. 

“She’s incredible.  Amazing.  Strong.  In every way, shape and form that has nothing to do with what she looks like; she’s beautiful, beyond belief.  I’m absolutely terrified of her.  Which I’m fairly certain means that she’s the one.  So if you’re going to talk to me about respecting her, you can forgive me for saying that you can blow it out your ass.  You want to talk about respect, well respect her choices.  Even if they’re me.”  Arthur lowered his beer slowly as Merlin looked away, and nodded to himself.    

“For a bloke that’s not sleeping with her, you’re got feelings enough don’t you?”  Merlin looked down at the beer in his hand and edged the label with his fingernail.  He shook his head sadly.

“I’m trying, Arthur.”

“Beg pardon?”  Merlin waved a hand dismissively.

“I meant…  I’m trying to respect her wishes on that… issue.   In that regard. About the… you know.”  Arthur shrugged slowly. 

“Three months, no sex though…  how do you manage that?  Aren’t you thinking she’s leading you around by the… nose?  Playing games?”  Merlin shook his head ruefully.   

“I’m thinking about other things instead.”

“Like what?”

“You wouldn’t want to hear it.”

“Sure I would.”  Arthur put his feet up on the table in front of them and spread his hands wide invitingly.  “I’m your friend as well as hers.”

“Okay.  You wouldn’t let me hear the end of it if I told you, that’s why I haven’t really discussed it with you.”  Arthur nodded in understanding.

“Try me.”  Merlin rolled his eyes.  “I’m serious, Merlin, honestly.  I’m genuinely curious.” 

Merlin looked out over the backyard again.  He stared at a huge tree that was somehow in the backyard, although Arthur didn’t know if it was a leftover from the original land or if Merlin had paid outrageously to have it transplanted from somewhere else fully grown.  The box around the base of the tree certainly looked new enough.  There were outdoor furniture cushions tied to the stained wooden planks.  It would have been almost as nice as the chairs they currently occupied, but further from the cold beer.  Arthur took another drink from his bottle.  The sun shone down through the leaves and Merlin tilted his face into it, enjoying the warmth.   

“I think about the way the sun makes her hair smell so good.  The way she tucks it behind her ear.  The way she always props things on her left hip.  The charcoal smudges on her chin when she sketches.  Her ankles and the way they lock together when she sits on the couch.  The way she sings in the car.  She’s…  I’m not just…  I’m spellbound.  Enchanted.  She’s magic, Arthur.”  He trailed off slowly and Arthur ‘s teasing smirk died on his lips.  He spoke softly and wondrously of Morgana, and Arthur couldn’t help but appreciate the sincere feelings Merlin obviously had for his sister.   

“Even now, I just think about all the stuff I want to talk to her about.  I want to hear her speak, Arthur, and just…  We argue sometimes, about little things.  Not fights, but books we’ve read or art or things like that, and she’s always in my thoughts like that.  I can’t wait to see her just to talk to her.  It’s infuriating.  But it helps when I start thinking about… other stuff.”  He fell silent and Arthur eventually nodded his head. 

“I know how you feel.”  Merlin scoffed playfully.

“Sure you do…”  He eyed his friend mockingly and then realised how serious he was.  Merlin smiled to himself.  “You’re in love with Gwen.”  Arthur didn’t answer straight away, which told Merlin quite clearly how right he’d been. 

“It was just fun, at first.  I thought she was hot.  She seemed interested.  It was fun, straight away.”  There was no leering masculinity in the way Arthur spoke about Gwen.  If anything, there seemed a touch of wonder to what he was saying.  “But now…  now little things worry me.  I don’t like Lance.  And he’s done nothing wrong.”  Merlin laughed then, loud and full. 

“Yeah, nothing except want to get into her knickers.  But Gwen’s an attractive girl.  There are lots of guys out there that are like that.”  He smiled wide then, completely amused.  “Gwen thinks he’s cute though.  THAT’S the part that sticks in your craw, isn’t it?  They haven’t done anything, but she doesn’t think badly of him and he definitely doesn’t think badly of her.  Neither of that however justifies your abruptness towards him, does it?  It’s not fair if he doesn’t do anything about their mutual chemistry.”  Arthur scowled darkly.

“I know.  It’s not like I want to not like him, honest.  It’s just…  you know, the little things matter now, about Gwen, with me.  They never mattered with anyone else.  It’s a first for me.  She…”  he groped for the right words blindly.  Merlin nodded in commiseration and grabbed another beer.  He offered it to Arthur who shook his head and jerked his chin towards his car keys. 

“And when you leave, when you go away?”  Arthur rolled his eyes in agreement.

“Yeah, doesn’t that just suck donkey dick.”  Merlin’s smile broke into a sudden laugh. He straightened and his face grew slowly serious.

“How do you…?  Leave, I mean?  Knowing that she’s gone from beside you?”  Arthur looked about and shrugged.  They were alone, but it seemed as if he was suddenly self-conscious.  But he’d always trusted Merlin in that regard.  When it came to embarrassments, Merlin kept his secrets.   He tapped his chest, near his heart.

“I take her with me.  In there.  It’s not the same.  But it makes it manageable.  How do you manage it?  Flying back and forth between Washington and here, and up to visit your mum?”  Merlin shrugged. 

“I pretend she’s there with me, just in the next room, or just behind me when I turn around.  It’s probably not healthy, between the two of us.  I think I’m obsessed with her.  I’ve never…”  He trailed off into silence, and opened another beer almost sullenly.    

“Felt this way about someone?  Glad you’re here with me.”  Merlin morosely scoffed.

“Listen to many sappy songs?”

“I have three playlists, depending on how sappy I feel.”  Merlin grinned at him then, and they shared a laugh.  Arthur tilted his head and remembered why he was there in the first place.

“Hmmm.  I’m supposed to ask how serious you’re taking tonight.  What’re you going to wear?”  Merlin looked askance at him again. 

“Hadn’t thought about it.  Am I supposed to?”

“I don’t know.  The girls are trying to get Morgana ready.”  Merlin sat up straighter in the chair and half rose from it.  He shrugged, running his hand through his hair.   

“Shit, I hadn’t thought that far ahead.  Who gets ready so long before?  I haven’t even washed the crockery yet.”  Arthur somehow managed to keep a straight face.

“Crockery…  You… Washed…  Merlin…  never mind.”  Merlin got up out of the chair and nodded to himself, thinking.    

“Playlists though…  There’s an idea.  Set the mood.  I’ve got to start getting things ready.”  Arthur looked on in amusement.

“Okay, Don Juan, what am I telling the girls?”  Merlin thought furiously for a few seconds. 

“Tell her I was ironing a tee shirt and jeans.”  Arthur took his phone out and waved it towards Merlin.

“Why not let her know semi-casual or something?  Isn’t that what you normally do for a party invite?”  Merlin smiled.

“Exactly.  In turn meaning she’ll know we discussed it straight up.  And that will piss her off, because you’re supposed to be James Bonding it and being all superspy to find out.  You’re not supposed to be so smart that you can figure out the differences between casual and semi-casual with a full on discussion.”  Arthur shrugged.   

“I really have no idea what you’re talking about.  You’re her best friend.”  He quickly texted her, his thumbs dancing over the small screen.  He hadn’t even put the phone back on the table when it buzzed in his hand with her reply. 

_*babe, ur the best.  My lil spy.  Wen u get back, u can interrogate me, see if u can make me give up my secrets…  xxxx_

Arthur stood up abruptly. 

“Well, gotta go.”  Merlin frowned, but his smile didn’t fade. 

“Now?”  Amusement filtered through his voice as Arthur nodded quickly. 

“Yup, now.  See you Friday?”  He waved and turned to go, almost running through the door to the garage to get back to his car.  Merlin shook his head in bemusement. 

“See you Friday.”

* * *

 

∞₸∞

* * *

 

Morgana tried to control her breathing for a spell as she locked her car.  Merlin’s winding circular driveway had brought her finally to the front doors.  They were a huge manifestation of dreams, or so she’d said when she’d designed them.  Merlin had loved it; sweeping dark oiled wood forming mountains, with winding glass rivers etched with dragons swimming within it and the two brightly polished steel curved handles forming a slatted bridge.  She paused in front of the door, smiling at it, before another wave of nerves came over her like a spell. 

It wasn’t the usual giddy happiness of spending time with Merlin, it was a much more powerful energy tonight.  As if she’d been waiting for this for a lot longer than three months.  She carefully straightened her jumper and pulled it off her shoulder a bit, baring her collarbones with a knowing smile.  Her artfully mussed hair vined down her left side and her glasses were rimless and businesslike, even if her jeans were tight and playful.  She’d gone with Gwen’s acid washed greys after all, as they went spectacularly well with the dark blue top she wore that still smelled of Merlin’s aftershave.  Over that was her loose jumper, showing how comfortable she was.  She’d match Merlin’s tee shirt and jeans perfectly, with hers being just a hint more naughty.  Sending signals, definitely, just not too many, or the wrong ones.  Well, not too MANY of the wrong ones.  She wished Merlin would hurry up and open the door.  The nerves were killing her until she realised he had no way of knowing she was here as yet.  Ruefully, she reached to the left for the doorbell, which was artfully placed under the stylish lamp.    

She could hear the music through the door as she pressed the buzzer and heard Merlin’s wordless call of acknowledgement as the tone sounded deep inside the house.  Kilgharrah barked at the tone, and his deep bark was joined by another, higher pitched call of excitement.  It didn’t distract her for long, though it appeared that Kilgharrah had a playmate now.  She’d only met the big dog a few times, as he was kennelled in a lavish property to the north of town.  From their trips to the park, she’d known how much he missed Merlin.  And too how much Merlin had missed him.  The distracting thoughts didn’t help entirely, Morgana noted ruefully.  Trying to control her breathing, and the jittery feeling nestling in her chest, she could almost feel his footsteps on the stone tiling she’d helped him pick out lining the hallway.  Run Around, by Blues Traveller came billowing out to her as the picturesque doors opened.

Morgana’s carefully practiced smile faded as she took him in.  He had shaved very recently, and she wasn’t sure how she felt about that, having grown accustomed to the designer stubble and the feel of it under her fingertips.  It wasn’t rough or prickly; he made sure of that.  But it was still a part of Merlin, that texture.  Her fingers twitched as she wondered how his skin would feel under her nails.  He wore a white dress shirt, expensive and ironed with clean lines clinging to his frame.  A black dinner jacket and black dress slacks brought images of him in a tuxedo, which wasn’t far off except that his shirt was open at the throat.  His shoes were shining, glistening black and all that was missing was his tie.  Morgana looked down miserably at herself and then back at Merlin, who took her hand and led her inside the doorway and closed the door behind her.  He spread his arms wide and waited for her comment on his attire.  Morgana blushed and looked away.

“You look very dashing, Merlin.  Bond could take some notes.  I’m feeling very underdressed.”  He eyed her up and down long enough that his lips began to do interesting things as his eyes caught fire.  He was chewing the inside of his lips to keep from smiling but it gave his face a very sexy smirk. 

“Actually, I just wanted to see your face.  I had a board meeting late this afternoon, and I haven’t had time to change.”  His eyes still smouldered as he looked at her, which made her feel better.  Impishly, she twisted her hip and winked at him, lifting her shoulder alluringly.  The fire in his eyes spread to his face and Merlin licked his lips hungrily as he stared at her.  Morgana sidled up to him, closing the space between them with a feather light touch on his chest.  She watched his Adams apple jerk in his throat as he swallowed nervously and her smile widened as she pursed her lips almost invitingly.  Merlin moved forwards and she tapped his lips with a gentle admonishment.

“You…” she breathed languidly.  “Let me think …”  He gave her that smile again that warmed the insides of her knees and elbows.  Which was stupid.  But that’s what it did none the less.

“Serves you right for enlisting spies,” he admonished, flicking his tongue against his teeth to click.  Morgana pouted and Merlin’s colour darkened his pale cheeks.  It was funny, she mused as she stared up at him.  He paid such close attention to her that tiny little body movements always seemed to garner such reactions from him.  It was as if she was a conductor and he was the music.  Her mouth opened and she breathed low, watching his own mouth drop and his eyes widen with desire. 

“I didn’t.  Gwen did.  Arthur let it slip?”  He smirked sexily again and his laughing eyes danced at her. 

“Thanks for the underestimation.  Nice to know you think so highly of my deduction skills.”  Morgana pursed her lips and shrugged again, drawing his eyes to dart between her dark curls and the stark whiteness of her bared shoulder.  Somehow he was more enamoured of her like this than he had been when they’d gone swimming and she’s worn her designer one piece that showed off her shoulders and the hours she spent in the gym.

“You make it easy to underestimate you.  You always hide what you’re thinking.”  Hunger flared in him and his eyes no longer danced, but held her.  The pure, burning desire deep in his blue eyes flared like flaming magnesium at her as his face grew serious and the smile faded.

“Then I ought to make myself abundantly clear.”  The searing kiss wasn’t gentle, or playful in the least.  There was nothing soft about it.  He pushed them back against the closed doors and ran his hand down over her head, cradling her to him and sliding another hand up to cup at her neck as he kissed her, drowning her in his hunger.  The kiss seemed to flow, nothing but want between them.  It was always like this.  Like a bottled storm, raging to be set free, he enjoyed her, ravished her entire body with his attention.  Morgana let herself go, pulling his shirt needfully as she arched up against him.  When his kissing showed no sign of stopping, she dropped her hands to his hips, pulling him up against her hips and dragging his jacket off his shoulders.

Merlin reared back to tear the encumbrance off his shoulders and lifted both hands to cradle her face and kiss her deeper.  Morgana felt his teeth in his kiss and pulled his head to the side, gripping his hair in her fingers as she felt his lips pull back over his teeth against her collarbones and move up to her neck.  Morgana moaned deeply and lifted a leg up, pulling him up against her with a deep groan of need.  Merlin’s blue eyes appeared in front of her as she felt him under his slacks, thick and hard and full of want for her. 

“Soup.”

“Huh?”  Everything was filled with the haze of want and need.  How had they waited three months?  How had they lasted three months, she wondered.  Merlin was still standing in front of her, but his hands didn’t move over her body like she wanted them to.  Why in the hell had they wasted three months?  Then his word penetrated her distracted mind.

“Soup?”  Merlin swallowed and nodded.  He pulled back and looked up to the ceiling, trying to find some semblance of control.  Morgana leaned forward, breathing heavily on his throat and scraping her teeth along the edge of his chin.  He swallowed against her lips and she smiled and flicked her tongue over the hot skin.  Merlin stepped further away from her and fixed her with his eyes. 

“It’s nearly ready.”  Unsteadily, Morgana leaned back against the door and touched her lips with a pleased smile.  Merlin’s hands were shaking. 

“Right.  Soup.”  She nodded and they separated fully, before Merlin darted back in for a bruisingly hard kiss, telling her exactly how much he was barely holding his control. 

“Just so you know,” she said in a low, thoughtful voice.  “You could burn the soup and blacken the cutlets and I’d still have a wonderful evening just spending time with you.”  Merlin’s eyes softened and his lips parted just before he smiled widely.  The boyish grin definitely worked on her, the excitement infusing her.  Morgana loved that sudden smile. 

“I…?”  He scoffed as she motioned for her to stay put for a moment.  “Burn my cutlets?  Wicked woman, blasphemer!”  She pursed her lips to hold it back, but the smile came anyway.  She bit her lip and Merlin gave a little moan of helplessness and kissed her again, much softer this time, succulently tasting her lips.  It was the maddeningly soft kiss that always made her feel much more than she was prepared to feel.  As per usual, she had to close her mouth afterwards to stop saying how much he meant to her.  His kisses were unfairly impacting.  “I need to change,”  he whispered against her.

“Uh-huh.”  He kissed her again, the lightest touch of his lips against hers as he explored the shape of her mouth with his and coaxing a smile from her. 

“Morgana,” he moaned, his hands sliding down about her waist and cupping her rear with a possessive squeeze.  “I need to go.”  She raised an eyebrow at him and leaned back, pressing his hands between her rear and the door. 

“You’re the one accosting ME…  I’m just loving it.”  He shook his head ruefully and squeezed again, before kissing at the side of her mouth, chasing her smile. 

“I’ll be right back.”

“Miss you already.”  Their mockingly playful banter successfully toned down their hormones, at least momentarily.  It wouldn’t take much to reignite them.  Merlin squeezed with both hands and then pulled them free and grabbed her hands, kissing her knuckles. 

“Besides, there’s someone I want you to meet.”  She smiled again.  Her cheeks were beginning to hurt, but she couldn’t do much about that.  That was how things were with Merlin.  He made her laugh and smile.  Ridiculously wide. 

“I heard.  I take it you’ve bought Kilgharrah a playmate?”  He grinned and stepped back, giving her a knowing smirk.  At least her elbows and knees didn’t heat up.  Because that was just embarrassing.  He eyed her up and down and sighed with a regretful smile. 

“Give me a second to change and I’ll take you on the tour.”  He darted back without waiting for an answer and disappeared around the corner.  She heard a pot lid give a distinctively glassy note as Merlin put it on the sink in the kitchen and after a moment it sounded again as he replaced it on the pot.  He came back into sight and darted upstairs, taking them two at a time on the narrow staircase until he leapt off the stairs and up a hallway, out of sight.

Morgana looked around, slipping her shoes off by the door.  To the left of the doorway was a small sitting room, with a bookshelf and a map of the world on it.  It looked more aesthetic than functional, with small drawings of whales and sea monsters dotting the blue, and a small notation towards the south that read “Here be Dragons.”

To her right, much more interestingly, was Merlin’s office.  A small docking station sat quietly in the corner, beside his architect’s easel, itself covered with paper showing another design in the beginning processes.  Office building designs and other papers cluttered the desk but the computer station facing out the front alcove window was new and clear.  She’d sketched him in charcoal almost a fortnight ago and had given it to him as a present.  He’d said it would hang it where he saw it a lot and she’d smiled indulgently, but there it hung, in his office, just as he’d promised.  It didn’t really fit with the theme of the room, but Morgana felt a deep warmth of affection for Merlin in spite of that.  Next to the monitor was a small photo frame showing the two of them in front of a campfire, Merlin’s arms around Morgana’s shoulders as she lay on him facing up, showing the two of them lit by campfire light.  They’d gone away for the weekend at the start of the month, up to Ireland and gone camping.  They’d taken the photo and had slept in the tent together, snuggled up tightly.  It was the lock screen on his phone, but she hadn’t known he’d printed it out.  Her mind wandered back to that night in the tent, with Merlin’s arms around her and his chest breathing slowly under her fingertips.  It was the first time things had gotten overly hot and heavy between them.  Being so close to Merlin, feeling the heat from his skin and the smell of his hair had driven her to push their boundaries a bit, and unfairly at that.  Merlin had bemoaned their lack of protection and Morgana had discovered they fit perfectly together with her cradled inside his arms.  It was a small thing, but at the time, it had calmed her fears.  Merlin had calmed her fears, the same way he always did.  He made her feel safe and loved. 

There was a clambering sound of hands on railings as Merlin raced down the steps at breakneck speed.  He darted back through and out the back, and the music lowered.  Another glass tone as he lifted a pot lid and then replaced it after a moment.  The soup, she realised.  He swore softly and she called out his name uncertainly.  There was only a moment of silence before a short, warm laugh as a sliding door was opened and a large black shadow moved across the hallway for moment as Merlin moved across the light.

 “Who’s there?  Who is it?”  Merlin’s voice was high pitched as she heard excited panting and yipping. 

“Kilgharrah!” she called.  An excited woof brought another grin as she heard frantic scrambling on the tiles.  Merlin’s golden Lab, solid and ecstatic to see her, bounded around the corner and made a bee line for her open arms, his tongue lolling and tail wagging.  He almost collapsed in front of her as he immediately rolled onto his belly and looked backwards to the kitchen to see if he was being watched.  Morgana roughly rubbed the fur at his neck and belly and dug her fingers under his chin.  Kilgharrah stretched and lifted his chin as he closed his eyes in pleasure.  His lolling tongue never wavered as he rolled further, letting her scratch his broad head near his ears.

“He seems much happier now that he’s got some space to run around some more!” she noted. 

“Might be his playmate, too.”  Kilgharrah’s tail took to wagging at the sound of Merlin’s voice, and Morgana looked up. 

Merlin came back up the hallway in dark blue jeans and a black collarless jumper with the sleeves pulled up.  His bare feet looked wet from licking, but she didn’t know if it was Kilgharrah or the small, white ball of wiggle fiend in his arms. 

“This…” he began , trying to shift the white fur so Morgana could see the little face.  “Is Aithusa.  She’s new, but friendly.”  The puppy wriggled excitedly and whined as Morgana straightened and pulled her out of Merlin’s arms and touched her face to the puppy’s head.  For her part, Aithusa began to lick enthusiastically and mouthed Morgana’s knuckles with her sharp teeth. 

“Sharp teeth,” she winced, and gently tapped the puppy on the nose in admonishment.  On the floor, Kilgharrah waited for more pats, but Morgana’s attention was on the puppy.  Hauling himself to his feet with dignity, Kilgharrah woofed low and disdainfully as Morgana squealed at the bright pink tongue lashing her cheek again.  Merlin grabbed him roughly and patted him thoroughly, making sure he ran his thumbs and pressed the pressure points along his ears.  Kilgharrah sat at his feet and closed his eyes, though he gave Merlin a lick of thanks when Merlin stopped. 

“Shall we?”  He leaned forwards and offered Morgana his arm.  Her smile moved off the puppy and she beamed happily at him as she linked her arm in with his.  They made their way into the house and he gave her the tour, such as it was.  Kilgharrah, satisfied that he’d seen enough, headed back out the rear of the house to the back garden.  Aithusa wriggled frantically again and darted after him like a small cloud of scurrying fur.  Her claws clicked on the tiles and Morgana laughed in delight. 

They passed the winding staircase and the small office and reading room at the front.  Morgana smiled at the pictures but didn’t say anything, and Merlin left the topic alone.  Along the wall leading into the kitchen was a huge fish tank, perhaps twenty feet long, that moved into a terrarium lit breathtakingly throughout with small flowers beside the dining table.  Beyond that was a happily burning fireplace and two very comfortable two seater chairs.  There was a TV that was off on the opposite wall and another, smaller table nearer to the huge glass doors at the rear of the house. 

Looking back at the dining table, Morgana noted there were two bottles of wine and two glasses sitting on the dark stained wood.  It looked incredible; a thick slab of redwood, coated and polished to a shine.  The edges looked glossed and coated as well, but unsmoothed, still showing the bark.  It was a huge, massive table, easily suited to feeding upwards of sixteen or twenty people.  Her eyes went back to the kitchen, which was open plan but with what looked like a butler’s pantry tucked away against the far wall.  His tablet was plugged into a small docking station that had the clarity that comes with expense.  She thought she could hear the sounds of a dryer coming from the butler’s pantry, and surmised the laundry was through there as well. 

The huge windows and open glass sliding door showed a massive backyard and outdoor eating area, wooden slats of dark stain that went well with the house underneath.  The dogs ran across the wooden slats and down through the landscaped garden excitedly and Morgana sighed happily as Merlin shifted from her side to behind her, linking his arms in front of her waist. 

“Soup’s ready.  Want me to dish up, or finish the tour?”  Morgana leaned back into him as she weighed her options. 

“I AM hungry,” she said tentatively as his lips found her neck and began to kiss the smooth skin as she sighed demonstrably. 

“And THAT doesn’t help…”  Merlin bit her playfully and laughed as he moved to the kitchen.  He turned the music down further and began to dish up.  The tune playing was a bit too happy, Morgana thought.  Not that there was anything wrong with it, but it just didn’t have the right tone.  It wasn’t exactly romantic, but was somehow laid back and domestic in its melody.  Morgana couldn’t help but tap her foot in the air as she sat down on one of the chairs at the giant table.  The comfortable two seater beckoned her, but the dining table had the wine.  There wasn’t any rush to sit and snuggle.  They had all night.  She blushed at her train of thought and watched Merlin.  Annoyingly, there was just enough soup to fill both bowls.  He came over, carrying both bowls in one hand and with a flourishing bow presented her with cutlery from his other hand.  He put the bowls down and darted back to the kitchen on sure feet, putting the pot in the dishwasher along with ladle and wiping the bench down with a clean cloth.  He pulled a covered plate out of the fridge and set it beside the stove before coming back to the table.  He frowned when he saw Morgana had waited. 

“Eat, Morgana,” he urged gently. 

She’s stubbornly refused to lift the spoon until he was with her, but the smells were coming up and making her stomach grumble discontentedly and with a very unladylike burble.  It was a clear broth with thick strips of chicken and large, chunky vegetables.  Merlin slid into the chair beside her and picked up his spoon as she tasted it.  It was still hot but not overly so, and wickedly good, holding all of the flavours and somehow not overpowering any of them.  They were only small bowls, and Morgana worried that there wasn’t any more because it was so could.  She could have had the whole pot full.  Gleefully savouring the taste, Morgana smiled at Merlin companionably and eyed the thick chunks of meat and vegetables before her after she delicately emptied the broth from the bowl. 

“This is the kind of thing sporks should have been invented for.”  Merlin poured them both a glass of the wine and kept his face straight.

“You can’t take sporks away from dessert, Morgana.  It’s tradition.”

“I disagree sir.  What about Chinese food?  They always give you small plastic sporks because they KNOW that such things are meant to be.”

“That’s what chopsticks are for.”  She blushed, remembering the last time she’d used chopsticks.  Merlin caught it and gave a low laugh, which included his annoying smile heating up her elbows and knees again.  “Yes, because the san choi bow I made deserved to be fed to Kilgharrah.”  Morgana shrugged artfully, and Merlin’s eyes again drifted to her bare shoulder.  She made a mental note to  thank Gwen for that little piece of information.  She’d have to store it away in case she ever needed to get out of trouble. 

“I was just sharing,” she insisted loftily.  Merlin’s smile was slightly mocking.

“Indeed.  You just didn’t want to use your fingers.”  She tossed her head airily and Merlin gave a slightly pleased half smile as he got to his feet.  He propped his thumb and pink up and rested the empty bowls on them with a knowing smirk.  She loved watching his lips.  It might exasperate her, but she loved how the little parts of him made her feel.

“I was just trying to impress you,” she admitted with aplomb.  Merlin paused and shrugged. 

“You did that already.  You always do.”  The warm smile he gave her thrilled her beyond, and she stretched back, feeling her knuckles pop satisfyingly. 

“It impressed Kilgharrah,” she ventured defensively.  Merlin nodded sagely.

“Oh yes, you bought his loyalty and his love immediately,” he granted, implying it was no difficulty feat. 

“I can’t help that I’m so lovable.”

“You could try, for the sake of us mere mortals.”  His affections and tone put her at ease.  That was another thing that scared Morgana.  Being with Merlin was so… easy.  Relationships were supposed to be hard.  But the actual fabric of their relationship was almost instantly like second nature.  She felt like they’d been together for eternity.  

“How was your day?”  Stupidly, it felt good to ask, as if he’d just gotten home to her. 

“Slow,” he offered, distractedly putting the bowls in the dishwasher.  He put the spoons handle down, she noticed.  She did too, so it was another easy thing between them.  They’d have to find something to disagree about.  Make-up sex needed something to make up FOR.  Her eyes danced at him and Merlin caught his thumb in the dishwasher door and cursed.  “Much too slow.  Took too long to get… here.”  Morgana thought about that as she toyed with the stem of her glass. 

“Hmm.  This isn’t exactly mood music, Merlin…”  She tucked her feet up under her and his eyes roved over her legs and down to her ankles with one of those secret little smiles of his.  He liked the strangest things about her, she mused.  Hours in the gym working on her squats and he could barely take his eyes off her ankles.  Then she remembered his hands by the door.  Perhaps not entirely wasted, she smiled to herself. 

“It’s kitchen music.  Cooking music.

 “You have specific music requirements for cooking?” she deadpanned.

“Absolutely.”  His straight face was completely devoid of anything resembling guile.  “There’s a formula.”

“This… I have to hear.”  Merlin grinned at her and pulled out a wide fry pan.  He dashed some oil into it from a bottle filled with herbs and garlic that sat by the stovetop on a small wooden plate.  He took some orange juice from the fridge and poured it into another saucepan he’d had sitting on the bench, setting it over the heat.  He didn’t put the lid on, but instead Morgana watched in confusion as he seasoned it with negligent seeming shakes of spice blend canisters near the wooden plate by the stove top.  He took a length of the spicy chorizo sausage she favoured and thinly sliced it into strips, then did the same with some dried tomatoes.  Fascinated, Morgana watched him drain some of the oil from the dark red strips and put it aside in a small white dish. 

“It has to fall within a certain vein of music that’s just boppy enough that it makes you want to dance only a little bit.  That way, your feet can stay still, your hands can stay still, but the rest of you can move.  So you can dance, but not lose control and cut yourself or burn yourself.”  He made it sound so matter of fact that she couldn’t resist teasing him.   

“As I said before, this I have to see.”

Merlin reached up and grabbed  a small remote off the herb shelf and hit the volume button before looking closer and skipping tracks until he found what he wanted.

“Older stuff works best,” he noted clinically, as “Blister in the Sun” started up.  “You should know by now that I have enough “Don’t Judge Me” music that it goes without saying.  I have many…  MANY redeemable qualities, so I hope I can get away with some questionable music tastes…”  As the intensity of the tempo increased, Merlin twitched his hips to the opening drum beats; one-two, one-two.  Morgana began to giggle as he studiously kept his hands and feet still but jerked his rear from side to side in energetic bouncing to the tune of the music. 

“Note how the true artisan of Cooking Music Freeform can dance with small parts of the body individually and still maintain a semblance of professionalism.”  He crooked his knees individually in time to the beat and twisted his neck slightly as he watched her.  Morgana was in stitches by the time the orange juice was boiling, and Merlin felt his giddy smile soften.  He didn’t want to admit how in love with her he was.  Sometimes though, he couldn’t help it.  Who she was… how she made him feel… that was a kind of beautiful that made you stop and stare.

He grinned and stirred the orange juice, adding fresh peas and corn and spinach leaves from the fridge as he turned the heat on under the frying pan.  Morgana poured him another wine and sat back, watching him.

His head nodded in time to the music and he was almost but not quite dancing.  He obviously loved to cook, she thought as he uncovered lamb cutlets from the plate he’d taken from the fridge.   The oil didn’t quite smoke though she was sure it was quite hot as he carefully laid them out in a wheel span around the pan.  It was good stonewear, slow to hear but even and clean.  Merlin grabbed a whisk as he lifted a packet of cous cous from the other side of the bench and poured it into the simmering orange juice.  He began stirring immediately and with his other hand shook the handle of the frying pan, moving the cutlets off the bottom more out of habit than necessity as the oil fried the crumbs a crunchy golden brown.  He pursed his lips as she watched him.  The music died down for a moment and he reached for the remote.

“I wrote my mum about you.”  He seemed pensive about it, and Morgana put her glass down, virtually untouched.  She grabbed a cushion from the two seaters and held it to her for something to do with her hands as she felt a long forgotten butterfly sensation in her stomach.

“Oh?”  It hung there as he stirred the cous cous in the pan and chewed his lip thoughtfully.

“Yeah.  I told her I thought I was in love with you.”  He said it offhand, but there was a pensive stance to him, as if the muscles in his back were tight and tense.  Regardless, Morgana knew how badly she’d fallen for him when knowing about his feelings made her even happier still.   

“That didn’t take long.  Guess I really AM lovable.  Did it… does it matter?  To you?”  Again it hung there for a moment until he smiled to himself. 

“No.  Not really.  You’re an incredible woman, Morgana.”  She felt herself holding the cushion tighter to her and nodding towards him.

“You’re… I… you’re very special to me, Merlin.  More than anyone ever has been.”  He gave that half smile and she suddenly had the sense that behind his eyes was a wisdom long buried.  Morgana shook her head at the thought. 

“I don’t expect you to say it, Morgana.  It’s fine.  I was just thinking out loud when I wrote her.  There’s a lot going on in my life, but all I can think about is you.  Maybe it’s just the honeymoon phase of a new relationship, but I don’t think so.  You’re… you’re different than any woman… any person I’ve ever known, Morgana.”  Suddenly wanting to reassure him, Morgana put the cushion aside and put her hands in front of her, holding them defensively.  Merlin had bared a very private part of his life to her, and she could only offer the same honesty in return.

“I’ve told Gwen and Arthur how I feel.  About you.  I don’t… I don’t have anyone else.”  His eyes came up and met hers as he turned the heat down on the stove and looked at her, really looked at her.  His eyes moved over her and his face filled with tenderness that she couldn’t help but bask in.

“You have me.”  Trying not to lose herself to the softnesses he was burgeoning in her, Morgana shrugged, and his eyes went to her hair this time, as she began to pull her hands through it contemplatively. 

“Well, I can’t really tell YOU how I feel about you.  That wouldn’t be sporting.”  He laughed and the tension that wasn’t really tension as much as it was deep emotion eased out of the room.  

“Why not?” he laughed.   Morgana hid her smile and tossed her head airily. 

“Hush, blasphemer.  I don’t want you getting a big head.”

“So it’s positive then,” he pressed, raising an eyebrow questioningly.

“Shut up.  You’re…  not bad.  Alright.”  His eyes widened mockingly at her, and his mouth fell open in feigned shock. 

“Easy there, lady Morgana, you don’t want my clothes to fly off in the heat of all that flirty flattery.”  She laughed as he meant her to, and he stirred the whisk through the grains that were soaking up the last of the seasoned juice.  He turned the cutlets and put the lid on again, turning the heat off.  The smells wafted to her and Morgana sighed happily, remembering Gwen’s appreciation of her Merlin’s cooking skills.

“You never mentioned you can cook,” she queried.  Merlin smiled as he pulled two plates out from the overhead shelves, blue stonewear that somehow looked at once rustic and yet expensive. 

“I didn’t want you to want me because I’m a world class seduction master chef.”  She grinned at him teasingly.

“World class, huh?”

“Oh yes.  They’ve been described as panty-droppingly good.”  Morgana concealed the flash of unease.  Gwen and Merlin were just friends.  It wasn’t Gwen’s fault, nor Merlin’s.  But her jealousy wasn’t rational, it was emotional.  She quashed it and looked up challengingly, crossing her legs and leaning back into the chair to press her breasts against her top. 

“Luckily I’m not wearing panties tonight then.”  Merlin balked and stubbed his toe as he turned suddenly towards her, but Morgana pressed her smile into the cushion.  Merlin stared hard and accusatory at the cous cous and flinched, stirring it quickly and grumbling to himself.  After a moment, he moved away and closed the sliding door all the way.  The buzzer went off in the kitchen and for a second, Morgana was confused, until the two dogs, summoned by the kitchen timer suddenly appeared at the door, staring in forlornly at them.   Morgana laughed in commiseration, but Merlin was already making his way to the table, carrying the delicious smelling plates again on his left hand, and the salt and pepper shakers in his right.  Morgana pouted in sympathy at the dogs, who whined softly for her help.  Merlin heartlessly ignored them, even though his face softened as he glanced their way, and rolled his eyes.  Lifting his chin to pointedly indicate her plate, Merlin smiled and put a hand on hers as he sat down, warmth flooding through her at the contact.

“Eat,” he urged gently.  “They’re delicately cooked and you can’t let them heat through too much.”

She sniffed appreciatively and tasted the cous cous first.  The yellow grains were soft and held with the vegetables, given a perfect tang by the orange juice and the sundried tomatoes.  It was seasoned perfectly with a hint of Moroccan spices and she didn’t bother with the salt or pepper.  After a couple of forkfuls, she picked up a cutlet and delicately bit into the medallion of meat off the frenched bone.  The juice flooded her mouth and the flavours brought a smile to her face.  They really were that good.

“Yeah.”  She chewed slowly, relishing the release of the flavours.  “Okay.”  She nodded, her eyes closed.  “Dangerous,” she conceded as she lifted another forkful to her mouth.  “Your cooking is dangerous.”  Merlin smirked. 

“I’m glad you like it.”

“Yeah, well, I could get used to it.  You cook like this every night?”

“Not every night.   Your visits are special occasions.”  Morgana lifted a long, smooth leg against his and rubbed her calf against the side of his shin.   

“So you’re just doing this…  you know what, I don’t even care.”  They really were that good.  Merlin laughed fully and shrugged disarmingly. 

“I enjoy cooking.  I enjoy cooking for… people I like.”  Morgana cleaned the first cutlet of meat and put the bone down on the edge of her plate, delicately cleaned her fingers and dabbed at her mouth before taking another glass of wine.   

“The dogs will hate me if you keep cooking like this and they get shut out.” 

“Lucky you’re lovable.”  She tilted the wine glass at him and blew him a kiss.

“Touche.”  They ate in silence, enjoying both the meal and the company until Morgana stretched and unhooked her leg from his.  Their calves touched still, as Merlin moved his leg to keep contact with hers.  Morgana watched him pull the remote out of his back pocket and access another playlist.  He put the remote on the table and leaned back, taking her in.  Morgana threw decorum out the window as she ate the cutlets, enjoying the flavour too much, which Merlin took pride in.  Crash and Burn by Savage Garden began to play as the meal gradually ended.  Their eyes locked and they smiled at one another, but Morgana’s was the rarer; the soft, secret smile she shared only with him.   

“Do you know,” began Merlin, reaching forwards and toying with her wrist.  His hot fingers slid over her skin as he wistfully appreciated her.  “What my favourite memory of you is so far?  It’s stupid,” he allowed.  Morgana grabbed his hand and kissed the back of his palm before picking up another cutlet.  His eyes danced at her as she watched him over the edge of the crumbed delicacy. 

“No.  I’d like to know, though.”  Merlin picked up another cutlet and began eating again.  He had purposefully left the knives off the table, so they’d have to eat with their fingers.  Making it far less formal so that Morgana wouldn’t be nervous.  It hadn’t seemed to work, though he never knew why she was so nervous around him.

“It was when you’d gotten back from Madrid and found out that Uther had cancelled the fundraiser for the Arty Kids.”  She scoffed, remembering.    

“I wasn’t exactly at my best, there.  Angry and swearing like a trooper.  I’m surprised you put up with me there. “

“It wasn’t like that.  You weren’t… on your best behaviour.”  It had been in front of Elyan and Lance, at their apartment.  Morgana looked down at her plate. 

“I embarrassed you,” she said slowly.  Merlin scoffed.

“Of course not.”  She frowned, confused.   

“Lance and Elyan?”

“Stuff them.”  He was uncharacteristically vehement about it, and Morgana waited.  Merlin apologetically shrugged.  “Look, I…  I loved that you came to me to vent.  That was the first time I knew you were comfortable enough with me to be honest with your feelings with me.  That you trusted that I would be there for you with them. “  Morgana didn’t want to take away from it, but she wanted to be honest, too. 

“I guess…  I never thought you wouldn’t be.”  Merlin’s face screwed up, but it was self-deprecation, not disgust.   He shrugged uncomfortably.

“Is that weird, though, for you?  That I liked it when you came to me to help take your mind of your bad mood?”  Morgana tilted her head to the side as she remembered, and smiled as she shook her locks from side to side. 

“You didn’t though, you just sat there and listened.  It was exactly what I needed.  Blow my anger out until I realised that I was being silly and then not judging me for it.  You’ve never judged me.”  He gave another smirk and pretended to consider it. 

“I have, actually, I’ve just never thought you were less than way way WAY out of my le… um…  span of worthiness?”  She slapped his wrist mockingly. 

“I told you not to say that stuff.  I don’t like labels.  You’ll make me feel shallow.  And no.  It’s not weird.  It’s sweet.”  His face fell somewhat and he winced.    

“Ouch.”

“What?”

“Sweet, nice, cute…  they’re not the words that a world class seduction chef like myself is comfortable dealing with.”  He kept it light, but there was a long held pain in his eyes, like an old, nursed wound.  Morgana smiled to herself as she remembered Gwen talking about clawing her way out of the friendzone.  She wondered who had friendzoned Merlin.  

“You’re sexy too.”  He grinned and ducked his head in thanks. 

“See, that wasn’t so hard, was it?”  She laughed then, rich and full until he lifted his wine glass again.

“I love that you make me laugh, Merlin.  Laughing with you is easy.” 

The music changed, a hauntingly romantic melody as someone began to sing in Italian.  Merlin smiled at her and Morgana looked down at her empty plate. 

“How was it?” 

“I’m full, I think.  And it was perfect.  Amazing.  You were right.”  Merlin stood up and took the dishes as Morgana followed him to the kitchen.  She leaned against the bench as he turned the dishwasher on and moved towards her.  He reached up, shadowing her in his arms and pressed the skip button on the docking station.  His hands lowered between them and rested on hers.  Morgana put the wine glass down and took his other one in hers.  Merlin took a breath.

“Can you teach me how to dance?”  Morgana stared at him.

“Now?”  Visions of Merlin learning the Charleston flitted through her mind.  

“I always want to ask you to dance with me.”  His voice softened as he shrugged simply.  “But I just don’t know how to dance.”  Morgana’s smile was slow but wide. 

“Okay…”  She stepped up to him and held him close in the kitchen.  They began dancing slowly to the music and Merlin stepped on her toes.  She started to laugh at the look of intense concentration on his face, even as he stepped on her toes again. 

“Sorry,” he mumbled defensively.  A moment later, staring down at their shifting feet, he did it again.  “Sorry,” in the same tone.  Morgana started to laugh again and this time, she couldn’t stop.  She brought his hands up to her lips and kissed his knuckles lovingly.  Her toes were beginning to hurt, but her smile was wide and honest. 

“I need to get off my feet.  Honestly, they’re starting to hurt.  My toenails weren’t painted red at the start of the night, you know…”  Merlin ashamedly mouthed “sorry” again before his eyes lit up. 

“I have just the idea.  Come with me?”  he asked, his heart in his eyes.  Morgana nodded, pursing her lips together as they opened the glass sliding door again.  The dogs were subdued, though happy to see them.  Kilgharrah got to his feet as Aithusa bounded around them happily.  The dogs half followed them, half led them underneath the patio, to a sandstone dugout.  Merlin switched on the lights as he ducked under the overhead patio, stepping down into a pool area that lit up a brilliant green in the yellow light of the sandstone.  The pool was moving with a current from the filter, and the light dappled softly against the roof.  Morgana looked about in amazement and wonder as Merlin moved to the end of the pool and a sandstone slab that rolled back into the floor on well-oiled tracks revealing a river stone lined spa.  He leaned down and popped a small control panel open, starting up the sap as he flashed a grin at Morgana.  The steam started to rise instantly, and Merlin went to a small wardrobe that Morgana hadn’t seen and pulled it open, revealing shelves of neatly folded white bath towels. 

“I don’t have anything to wear,” cautioned Morgana.  Merlin cleared his throat and blushed before he pulled off his shirt and handed it to her.  The shirt reached below her hips as she winsomely turned away from him as she unbuckled her jeans.  Morgana wasn’t afraid of being naked with Merlin at all, even though if she thought about it, she was terrified of him finding any fault with her.  There’s an eagerness in the back of her mind to shed her clothes, as though it might cover up any flaws in her personality that he didn’t like.  Sex was always easy for Morgana.  It was feelings that complicated things so thoroughly.  Merlin was in his boxers, black silk and unadorned as he folded his jeans and made sure the towels were close at hand by the bubbling spa.  Morgana tucked her clothes away and gingerly stepped into the burbling waters.  The heat raced up her skin as she slunk deeper into the water and sighed, closing her eyes as she sat down with smile on the smooth stones.  Merlin grabbed two bottles of water from a bar fridge tucked away in the wardrobe and sat them in the control panel for the spa behind the digital readout. 

Morgana watched him get in from lowered lids as the interplay of muscles across his ribs danced under her gaze.  She pushed out with her foot in the water and pressed it against his chest, the red paint on her toenails looking good against his pale skin.  Merlin spread his arms wide across the edge of the spa, showing off his shoulders as he boldly looked at her leg, wet from the scented bubbles of the spa.  His eyes moved up the smooth skin to his shirt on her, tight and clinging wet on her torso.  Morgana tilted her head as she stared at him, willing him to touch her.  The wet shirt left nothing to the imagination, though it wasn’t white which would have been equally as interesting, and the almost scalding water felt too good against her skin.  Merlins hands came up out of the water and gripped the back of her calf and her heel.  The water danced over her breasts sinfully as Merlin watched, moving his fingers to press deep into her muscles while he tenderly squeezed her toes. 

Morgana leaned back, enjoying the pampering.  They stayed like that, with her foot on his chest and his fingers kneading her muscles for perhaps ten minutes, it was hard to say.  Morgana wasn’t paying much attention to the time when Merlin tapped her foot and wordlessly looked at her other one.  She smiled happily as she complied, leaning her head back and looking out over the backyard.  The night sky stretched picturesquely over the winding riverlands heading back out to the countryside.  She looked at the darker area, lit by moonlight and starlight alone, and then down towards the lights of the other towns. 

“Do you ever think you were born in the wrong time?”    Morgana sniffed, considering it.

“I used to.  Time… feels weird to me.  Maybe I’m just weird.”  She smiled as she wriggled her toes under his chin. 

“Growing up, you mean?”  She nodded.

“I’d read all about the history of an area and I just couldn’t help but feel like… that this isn’t my time.  Or it wasn’t.  If that makes sense?  That’s how it was before, anyway.”  She arched an eyebrow at him as he started making circles with thumbs that closed her eyes in pleasure again. 

“Before what?”  She felt his gaze hot on her skin as she shrugged.  The hands stilled on her feet for a moment as she opened one eye.

“Before you.  I feel…  I don’t know, Merlin.  I feel at home with you.”  His fingers started kneading her muscles again and she gave a pleased sigh. 

“I thought you didn’t want to give me an ego boost?”  She stuck her tongue out at him momentarily before looking away and blushing. 

“I’m serious, Merlin.  You don’t know what you’ve done for me.  For who I am.  I feel like…  I don’t know.  I’m just… happy now.”  She glanced back at him and his satisfied smirk.  Kissable, but annoying. 

“And that’s a problem because…?”  She shrugged again. 

“No, it’s not.  I don’t know.  I don’t want things to change.” 

“What’s going to change?”  Morgana, slightly annoyed but not really by his prompting, arched an eyebrow at him and ran her tongue over her bottom lip fulsomely.  She gave a deep moan and moved her foot down his abs to press into him.  Merlin moaned and grabbed her foot harder, lifting it up towards its previous rest on his chest. 

“Easy, Morgana…  that’s not helping me play nice, yeah?”  Morgana stared at him, letting her want for him show in her eyes.  Merlin swallowed nervously.

“How much do you want me, Merlin?”  Her voice was low and too serious, and he stared at her, pale and discomforted. 

“Enough that answering that is going to make me feel like a horny idiot pervert.”  She gave a low, hungry murmur as she stared at him and then dropped the act as he fidgeted in front of her.   

“So.  That could change.  What if that means that other things change, too?”

To his credit, Merlin actually considered that.  He conceded her point with a tilt of his head, which wasn’t really fair, because she’d wanted him to logically give her a reason to discard her opinion. 

“Okay.  Things will change after…  that happens.  There’s no denying it.  But it could be better, too.  Which makes me sound like the horny idiot pervert, I know, but I have to put it out there as a point.”  Morgana pulled her foot back and moved through the water, coming up against his body and kissing him gently, lovingly.  She pulled back and stared into his bewildered eyes.    

“You’ve been the perfect gentlemen about this, Merlin.”  His eyes softened as he looked at her, which they almost always did.  All traces of lust gone from his face, he kissed at her mouth softly and leaned forward, touching her forehead with his.    

“You’re worth the wait.”  She laughed archly.  

“How do you know?”  He actually blushed at that and Morgana gave a delighted laugh as he tucked his chin towards his shoulder in a tight shrug. 

“I don’t mean like that.  I mean, I’m willing to wait until you’re ready, whenever that is.”  Morgana stared at him.  He wasn’t lying.  He’d wait, for however long she wanted him to.  This handsome, strong, smart man would do anything for her, she thought.  Not just to get laid.  Not just to score and run off and tell his mates.  Not just for anything, but for her.  She blinked away tears as he held her, suddenly startled.   

“I love you.”  No sooner were the words out of her mouth than his smile broke through his confusion and care.  The smile was blindingly wide and turned into a grin that brought backflips to her stomach and she smiled as he tried and failed to not look so pleased. 

“I’m sorry, I just… I thought I’d be the first one to say it and I’ve been trying not to because I didn’t want to scare you off.”  Morgana took a deep breath and lowered her head to his shoulder, staring at his face and touching his lips. 

“It just feels…”  He nodded, kissing the droplets of water from her shoulder. 

“Right.”  She echoed his nod and smiled. 

“Yeah, and…”

“Like we’ve been in love for years.”

“So you’ve felt it too.”  Merlin nodded and looked at her deeply, with a very serious expression. 

“I don’t want to seem like a bad romance novel, but I think our souls have been in love for a long time.”  Morgana touched the side of his face and stood up, her face decisive.  Merlin followed her eyes and the wan smile never left his face. 

She stood there in a wet shirt that clung to her body like silk and droplets of water poured down her skin, but Merlin’s eyes were only for hers.  Morgana wrapped herself in the towel wordlessly and handed the spare to Merlin, who stood up and wrapped the towel low about his waist.  Morgana reached out and held a finger to his lips and grabbed his hand. 

“Shower?”  He nodded though his trusting eyes showed some slight confusion.  He didn’t know her thoughts.  Not yet.  She would let him know her decision in the short moments left.  Merlin followed her back up into the house, closing the doors behind him and locking the dogs out.  She led him to the stairs where she waited, unsure of where to go.  Merlin turned her around in his arms and slowly pushed her towards the end of the hall.  They were almost dancing, but not quite as they opened two large wooden doors that led to the master bedroom. 

Morgana’s hands didn’t leave Merlin’s as they moved into the ensuite bathroom.  His fingers moved over her skin and enjoyed the quiet wonder of her as he touched her.  He opened the shower door and turned on the tap as Morgana lifted the slick shirt off her body and let it fall to the floor along with the pool towel and the rest of her clothing.  Steam quickly filled the bathroom and she pressed herself up again Merlin’s nakedness with her own.  They stepped into the glass casing together, still close and touching.  As the water cascaded down around them, Morgana looked up into Merlin’s face and he leaned down to kiss her. 

It was soft and slow, still filled with that awed wonder that made her feel so precious.  His arms went around her slowly and she could feel all of him, vulnerable to her as she was to him.  She could feel him thickening against the inside of her thigh, pushing against her and rising as his desire for her filled them both.  Somehow, he ignored that raging need and pulled her against him, pressing back against the cold glass wall so that she didn’t have to feel it.  He didn’t flinch or move except to pull her closer to him as he kissed her.  He cupped her face again, his hands large against the smoothness of her face, and she wondered at how he loved to do it so much.  His thumbs grazed over her cheeks and his kisses were soft in the rainfall of the huge showerhead as she mouthed at his neck, feeling the water from the shower running down his skin and into her open mouth.  Merlin’s tongue and teeth slid across her skin up behind her ear and he nipped at her hungrily, his moans hitting her ear in the small confines of the shower.  Heat bloomed as she couldn’t help picturing him deep within her, his body on top of her and moaning like that.  Her arms pulled insistently at him, closing the space between them with her need.

“Morgana,” he moaned, tasting her on his lips.  Morgana’s head dropped and she pressed against him as he tucked her into his hold, enfolding her body within his.  The water poured down on both of them and she breathed deeply of the steam rising off his body, carrying his scent.  Morgana reached behind them and pushed the tap closed.  Merlin leaned back, slightly surprised and checking that she was okay.

“I’m ready,” she assured him, her voice firm and confidant.  “Now.  For us.”  His wise eyes stared into hers for a moment until he nodded.  Merlin stepped out of the shower and held her hand, bringing her with him.  He wrapped her in a towel and wrapped another around his waist as the water and steam continued to cascade off his body.  Morgana felt the tight pain of her aching nipples and caught Merlin’s eyes. 

“Give me a minute?  I want to…  just, give me a minute.”

“He seemed to understand and quickly brushed his teeth while she wrapped her hair in a towel and dried off.  Merlin moved out of the bathroom and closed the door behind him, swallowing in the darkness.  Morgana took a breath and Merlin’s towel and wiped the mirror down, staring at her reflection.  She cleaned her teeth and dried her hair as best she could, setting it to curl around her shoulders.  In the impersonal light of the bathroom, she faced the nerves she had battled in the spa and they nearly won.  But then she thought of him, and how much she felt for him.  Merlin had shown her two sides to him, the soft side and the passionate side.  She could only be honest with him about how she felt and deal with it whatever way it changed them. 

It was time. 

She wrapped herself in a clean towel and turned the bathroom light off, opening the door. 

Candles were everywhere, lit while she waiting in the bathroom.  An oil diffuser filled the room with a soft lavender and rose scent that was just light enough in the small room.  Her eyes shined as she looked at Merlin on the other side of the room, who had on thin cotton pants for modesty.  His hair was still messy from towelling himself off.  Morgana realised belatedly  as he stared at her that she had on no make-up, and had a freshly scrubbed face and probably could have looked only slightly less orange if she’s covered herself in turmeric.  Merlin stared.

“God, you’re beautiful,” he breathed in wonder.  “You’re…   I… Oh, Morgana.”

She came to him then, and beckoned to him as she stopped at the foot of the bed.  Merlin kissed her softly, tentatively, as though he was worried he’d spoil the moment.  She didn’t register his need or her nerves.  Only the sheets beneath her knees as Merlin lifted her onto the bed.  For all his carnal need in the doorway, this was a different Merlin entirely.  The lustful, hot hands that gripped her with such bruising possessiveness had changed and with a flash of insight, Morgana suddenly realised that Merlin was just as nervous about doing something wrong as what she was.  His hands explored her feet and shins, sliding up as he kissed at the inside of her knees and somehow kept her demurely pleasured.  The low light of the candles reflected golden in his eyes as he moved up her body, slowly pushing aside the towel around her body with wonder.  His hands gripped at her thighs and slid up, thumbs grazing the tops while fingertips run up behind.  Her hips bucked off the bed at his exploring fingers, and Morgana felt how ready she was for him in that short, sharp jerk of sensations racing towards her centre.

Merlin’s hands squeezed firmly on her rear as she twisted against him, writhing into his touch.  Her body came off of the bed into his hands as she linked their fingers together and then he was lying on top of her, cradling her arms above their heads, his biceps framing her face as he held himself off her using the muscles of his torso and thighs. 

He kissed at her lips softly, letting her choose the pace.  Slowly and infuriatingly, he teased at her kisses; tasting and savouring her hunger for him, her need.  Her thighs moved apart, inviting him in as she pushed the modest pants down his legs with her feet.  Merlin stared at her as though still in wonder, even when the elastic caught on his hardness, which only brought a shiver to his body as he moaned deeply.  Somehow, he kissed her gently still.  Morgana stared into his eyes and smiled into his serious face, and he returned it.  He was gentle and strong, taking his time as he moved down between her spread thighs.  He was confident and slow, tantalizing her.

“I’m ready.”

“Are you sure?”  His concern was real, even if his want for her was too.  “We can stop if you want.”

“You think so?”  He smiled at her arch question, feeling her wetness against him.  He caught her eyes with his and nodded seriously. 

“If you need.”  Morgana smiled gently and kissed him. 

“What I need is… I need YOU.”  As though unleashed, Merlin kissed her again and reared back.  He fumbled for a moment as he guided himself into her.  Morgana’s mouth opened as his expression changed and his body tensed.  He thickened further inside of her and Morgana undulated, twisting  against him and eliciting a deep moan from him.  Merlin controlled himself somehow and moved against her body, and Morgana smiled as he clenched his teeth together above her.  She moved against him and kissed lightly at his lips.  He relaxed slightly and she tasted him then, opening her mouth to him and letting him feel her want for him. 

Merlin’s breath panted as he moved again, slowly at first.  He was trying his hardest not to lose himself in what he was feeling, and she was already well on her way.  The pressure built inside of her as he moved against her, bringing her closer to the edge quicker than ever before, though she could tell what it cost him, to hold back the intensity she could feel in his body.  The self-control he’d shown in the beginning was running rampantly loose inside of him.  He could feel his shuddering body and the heat from him as he strained to take his time.  His overpowering need for her was enflaming her further and Morgana moved against him, arching up to invite his thrusts deeper and moaning deeply against his ear when he did so.  Her hands wrapped around his back and held tight as she heard music build to a crescendo somewhere, in time to their panting breaths.  

“Don’t stop,” she panted.  Merlin’s face was strained with effort.

“I have to, I can’t hold this.  You don’t know what you’re doing to me, Morgana…”  She shook her head against him.

“It’s okay.  Don’t…  it’s okay.”  Her mouth opened as the music swelled and she soundlessly tensed under him and began to clench down as she started to cum.  Her eyes rolled back and Merlin gasped above her, grunting as his whole body shook for a moment. 

“I can’t….”

Morgana had no words for him as he filled her with a scalding heat and full, thick thrusts, driving her over into a secondary wave of pleasure barely less intense than the first so close on its heels, like a crested wave.  He held himself above her for a moment, his muscles clenching weakly and shaking before she rolled them over, tossing her hair back over her shoulder and closing her eyes with a smile.  She could feel his heart hammering in his chest as his breathing slowed.  Merlin opened his eyes and she gave a low throaty laugh.

“Hey.”

“Hey.”  He reached out and she noticed his whole arm was shaking.  She giggled and he touched at her hair, running it through his fingers.  Morgana smiled at him and felt her own legs shaking in tremors.   

“That was... intense.”   She smiled at his panting grin.

“Hmmm.  Was that the dessert you’d planned?”  Merlin gave a thick laugh and shook his head. 

“No, that was…  wow.”  Morgana bit her lip and snuggled in close to him.  Her own heart was still racing, and she could feel a warm, languid feeling spreading through her.   

“That’s…  accurate.”  Morgana looked away for a moment. 

“Was it…?”  Merlin nodded, before he shook his shoulder uncertainly. 

“I don’t know, I’ve got nothing to compare it to.  I’ve had sex, but I’ve never made love before.”  Morgana felt a deep warmth inside and smiled slightly, trying not to let him see how happy she was. 

“Can I get you another shirt or something?  Or naked is just as good.  It’s late, and it’s a long drive back.  If you want to stay, I mean.  I’d like you to stay.”  She laughed and kissed his chin, then followed it up much deeper as she spread her hands over his face and kissed him slowly.    

“What happened to the seductive master chef?”  She smiled mockingly against his lips at his suddenly shy demeanour. 

“Well…”  He waved a hand and then trailed off apologetically.    

“Do you mind if I stay?”  Merlin cleared his throat and pushed himself up onto his elbows and pointedly caught her eyes. 

“I mind if you go.  But if you need to.  Just, it’s a school night.”  Morgana gave a low, heady smile that brought some of that heat back into his eyes. 

“And me without my uniform.” 

“So naughty.  And I don’t know if I could handle you somehow managing to turn me on MORE.”  Morgana giggled through a wide smile and softly touched his face. 

“I’ll stay,” she breathed, and Merlin nodded.  He looked much happier knowing that.

“Okay.”  He pulled her close to him and kissed her hair as she lightly ran her fingertips over his arm.  “What are your thoughts on a song?”  Morgana wriggled in closer to him and felt his body align with hers. 

“We have one,” she murmured drowsily. 

“I mean, do you wait for one that happens, or do you choose… “  He trailed off in confusion.  “Wait, we… we have one?

“Yes.”  He waited patiently until she gave a slight sigh which could almost have been her snoring, Merlin touched the base of her throat and kissed her, feeling her rise up towards him.  “I’m waiting, Morgana…”  She smiled, her eyes still closed.

“All That You Are, by the Goo Goo Dolls.”

“Okay, why is that our song and how does it go?”  Morgana wasn’t the best at singing, but reached for her phone, which was downstairs on the kitchen bench.  Merlin’s was too. 

“YouTube will save us.  You’ll just have to run downstairs naked”  Merlin shook his head as she nodded, wide eyed and innocently at him.

“I’m not sure the dogs want to see me like this.”  Morgana pouted artfully and he moaned and dragged himself out of bed.  He was back in a few moments, in which Morgana drifted off to a light sleep. 

“The dogs saw me.  They think I’m crazy.”  Morgana gave a breathy laugh. 

“Better that than the neighbours. “  He keyed the song title in and they listened to it together.  He shut the phone down after and put it on the side stand.   

“Serviceable,” he agreed.   Morgana shrugged and pulled his arms around her.  Merlin happily complied. 

“It just seems like us.”  He nodded and grinned against her hair. 

“Okay.  We have a song.  Are we going to go all “couple-y?”

“I don’t know.  Maybe we’ve been taking it too slow.” 

“I thought that was what you wanted. “

“We did that.  Look at all the amazing sex we could have been having.”

“Morgana Pendragon, really, that’s what you go for?  I’m glad you weren’t using me.”

“You would have enjoyed it.”  She giggled as he sniffed loftily.

“I had my honour to think about.  My respectability.”

“Arthur thought you were a eunuch.”  Merlin rolled his eyes and propped his head up on his hand.  Morgana rolled over and cradled into his arms and looked up at him, kissing his neck and chin invitingly.   

“What do you think?” he murmured, low and hungry for her again.  Morgana smiled naughtily and gave a sensual shrug. 

“I think…” she began, slow and invitingly.  Merlin breath caught in his throat as he felt her hand wrap about him between them.  Almost instantly, he thickened again, much to his surprise.  Her eyes devoured him in the candle lit room as she cast the sheets away.  Her breasts pressed perfectly between her upper arms as she began to move back over his hips, breathing languidly and biting her bottom lip.  She gave Merlin a squeeze and he growled low, thrusting up into her hand. 

“I think this time it’s my turn on top…”

%MCEPASTEBIN%


	3. Be Mine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rounding things out for Mergana, what's the next logical step for everyone? 
> 
> The Final Chapter in my Passions series, I hope you all like it. As always, comments and kudos appreciated.
> 
> Is it pure fluff? Yes. Well, no, there's some smut in there, too. But it's in the theme of the story, so it serves it's purpose.   
> Am I ashamed? No.   
> Take the fluff and love it. TAKE it...  
> *shakes finger menacingly

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When you get to the bottom, and you're having trouble following who is speaking, it's actually supposed to be that way. To me, it doesn't matter who is saying what at that stage. It's supposed to be both of them, so either could be saying it. You'll hopefully see my point. ;)

They woke up slowly, the morning light blazing around the curtain edges and outlining them ecliptically in a ring of light on the east wall.  It was small touches at first.  Increasingly frequent movements under the doona.  Roll-overs and wriggles that kept occurring.  Merlin stretched and his shoulder popped loudly even as Morgana drowsily yawned and edged over to snuggle into his arms.  They fell silent like that for another few moments and Merlin dozed off, his lips in her hair as their fingers entwined near his ribs.  Morgana sighed against the warmth of Merlin’s body and tilted her head forward, dragging his night shirt up and kissing his thin stomach before snuggling into him again and laying her head on his chest.  Merlin pressed his mouth against the top of her head lovingly and nuzzled her hair as she smiled beatifically. 

“What’s to do today?” she murmured softly.  Merlin shrugged and didn’t answer, figuring that his tightening arms would be answer enough.  The enchantress in his arms simply sighed in happiness.  “You stayed, too.”  Morgana had moved into a small apartment with a 6-month lease after Uther got sick.  Merlin had rarely stayed in Morgana’s room in the Pendragon Mansion; he and Uther didn’t get along well at all, which had only gotten worse with Uther’s health problems of late.  Gwen had studied nursing in her younger years, and so she was caring for him in between trying to get pregnant with Arthur so he welcomed her with open arms But Uther didn’t like Merlin, which Morgana had repeatedly fought with him over.  Uther was willing to constantly berate her over slumming far beneath her stature, and for reasons beyond her understanding, he’d taken it as a personal insult that Merlin’s business acumen was proving just as sharp as his own.  Instead of respecting the younger man, however, Uther had taken it upon himself to disregard him entirely.  Not even Arthur’s good nature had been able to withstand that, and he’d paid for Morgana’s flat personally in some sort of passive aggressive rebellion against his father’s wishes.  Merlin remained stoic about it, and Morgana loved him for it.  He proved every day how much he was the better man, but Uther would never see it, which proved yet again that nice guys finished last.  Morgana’s arms tightened around Merlin possessively.  She was determined to show him how incredible he was, and how much she appreciated him. 

“I did,” he acknowledged slowly as his blue eyes saw everything, but didn’t point it out.  “I thought you had that gallery opening today?”  Morgana tilted her head up and looked at the clock on the wall above the bed.  Merlin had never understood it, but he was one of those who could wake up whenever he needed to, whereas Morgana was more of a dead sleeper.  Having the clock above the bed meant she actually had to move to see it, which meant she was less likely to go to sleep.  He didn’t question her logic, namely because it was her own personal brand of it, but it was another reason to like him.  She put her chin on her hand, leaning on his chest again and staring at his face, looking at the way his hair was messily perfect and that he needed a shave.  The dark stubble made her fingers twitch for want to run her fingertips over the scrape.  She hated that he affected her like that.  A single glance at his face made her want to bite him and eat him.  Her blush crept across her cheeks and he raised an eyebrow, his lip curling into that smirk that made her spine tingle. 

“Not until three pm.”  She smiled at him and bit her fist as her smile widened in giggling bliss.  Merlin laughed, trying to keep his chest from bouncing her up and down and she leaned up, which showed him her cleavage.  The press of her breasts against him cut the laugh short and he cleared his throat.  Morgana tilted her head and looked at him overly innocently, and he locked eyes with her, letting her see how hungry she made him.  She might hate how he affected her, but Goddess, but she wanted him and loved how he wanted her.    

“You _do_ know there’s more than just three or four hours of daylight, right?” he admonished her, his voice dropping teasingly.  Her shoulder blades fluttered like butterfly wings.  She had no idea how he did that to her.  She answered with a toss of her head, flicking her hair back over her shoulder and making him swallow in nerves.  Served him right, she thought.  Who makes shoulder blades twitch?  It was simply unfair and she, as a woman, had every right to get back at him.

 “I’m creative,” she said loftily, as if it answered everything.  They smiled at one another and she shrugged even as she snuggled into his chest again.  “Okay, I do know that.  But you’re so warm!  Why bother getting out of bed into a cold house when I have this lovely warm boyfriend to keep me happy?”  Merlin didn’t have an answer for that and so he gave a low laugh and ran his fingers through her hair.  Morgana sighed in pleasure and snuggled in, almost purring.  Her fingers clenched his shirt in a fist and she breathed in deeply, inhaling his scent.  Merlin didn’t seem to notice, but probably did.  He always noticed.  She couldn’t get away with anything.  She loved it.

“What time IS it?” Merlin murmured, given that she’d just looked at the clock.  Morgana pouted when he stopped playing with her hair and reached up, pulling his arms back down onto her head, urging him on with a verbal pout in the form of a discontented grunt. 

“I’ve lost track.  The dogs in, yet?” Morgana heard Merlin’s smile as he answered her.

“I let them in around four.  Aith’?  ‘Garrah?”  Two puppy heads rose up in sync from the side of the bed, and they could hear the off-tempo beat of their tails beating the carpet.  Morgana stared at them and then smiled. 

“UP!” She didn’t even have to pat the mattress as she hid beneath the cover.  The two dogs scrambled up onto the bed and Morgana squealed as Aithusa squirmed under the doona to lick at her face and Kilgarrah went for Merlin to do the same, before laying down quickly and claiming Morgana’s pillow as his cushion as if he’d been asleep all along.  Merlin eyed the domestic chaos with a rueful eye. 

“You love it when they do this.  You have no one to blame but yourself.”  Morgana flipped the covers back over and her and Aithusa stared at Merlin with identical looks of innocence. 

“I?”  Aithusa turned around and wriggled down the end of the bed under the doona as Morgana stared at Merlin, her look growing hungry and naughty at the same time.  Merlin swallowed.  He loved her with everything he was, but she made him so nervous at times.  He felt completely powerless to her.  Considering how powerful he made her feel, it seemed an even trade off.  Morgana crawled up along his body, her mouth open and almost panting.  Merlin’s hips twitched and he cleared his throat.  She didn’t stop and ran her fingertips under his shirt, scraping his skin lightly with her nails as she pulled his top off.  She gave a tiny moan at the feel of his skin under her nails and Merlin’s eyes brightened as he responded to her.  She pulled the top off him and held his head, her hands either side of his cheeks, and kissed him deeply, breathing heavily as his pale skin flushed deep.  She gave another moan as she leaned back, before pulling his shirt over her head and smirking at him.  She winked as she pulled the covers back over and snuggled in beside him, to the crook of his arm.  Merlin growled low which set her whole body to tingling, as she giggled at him.  He kissed her hard and hot and her giggle melted as she moaned against him and sighed into his kiss.  It was the strangest thing, with all the heat and passion that she had for him, and he for her, that what struck her was the feel of his hand holding hers as he kissed her.  For all the desire in the kiss, he was still tenderly touching her hand, rubbing the inside of her palm with his thumb.  Morgana pulled away and touched his forehead with hers. 

“Merlin?” she asked softly, her voice filled with trepidation.  Her entire demeanour was anxious, and his mind fell away from the naughty thoughts of sweat and moans that kissing her always filled him with. 

“Yeah.”  It was something he always did, saying it like that.  It was somehow a constant reassurance that he was there, not just someone answering a question.  He wasn’t just saying _“I hear you.”_   He was saying _“I’m here for you.  It’s me, here for you.  It’s okay.”_  

“What was I wearing when you first saw me?”  He leaned back.  Black dress, backless, lace.  Glasses and wild, sensuous hair that intoxicated him.  He had fallen for her almost immediately.  It wasn’t until later that he had realised he’d forgotten what she was wearing.  Not because he didn’t care.  Because who she was had become more important. 

“I want to answer you straight up honestly.  Is that okay?”  He waited until she nodded before continuing.  “My brain doesn’t work like that.  I know you like those stories about how years later, person A could still remember what person B was wearing, blah blah blah.  But that’s not how it works with me.”

“Okay,” she said slowly, thinking about her next question.  “That’s a bit intriguing.  So what SHOULD I be asking about?”

“Not do I remember what you were wearing, but how did it make me feel the first time I saw you.”  She narrowed her eyes at him and then smiled and tilted her head. 

“Okay, definitely intruiged.  Alright, I’ll bite.”  Merlin grinned at her and kissed the tip of her nose. 

“Oh good.  I do like it when you do that.”  His voice didn’t sound unreasonable, but his eyes were laughing at her, like he’d specifically manipulated her into saying that so that he could respond.  She bit her bottom lip at him with every ounce of allure she could muster, and purposefully flipped her hair over her shoulder, but he was already moving on top of her, enticed by her bitten lip.  Morgana moaned heavily as he filled his hands with her hair and began to kiss her.  She bit his lip lustily and licked at his mouth as he pulled back with the light of overpowering desire in his eyes that always made her chest shudder raggedly.  She slid her thigh up his hip and reached for the hem of his shirt that she’d stolen.

“We’ve got lots to do today.”  The complacent, domestic tone in which he said it forwent any desire at all, and she incongruously lowered the shirt hem again and stared at him before her eyes narrowed above her sudden admonishing smile. 

“Oh, you’re such a _tease_ , Merlin Emerys!”  She slapped his chest and he laughed as he raised an arm to shield himself from her fury.  Morgana got out of the bed and slipped her pyjama pants down her thighs.  She bent over to pick them up and held it there as Merlin stared in stunned silence.  Even after all this time, she still felt so good doing that to him.  He grinned suddenly. 

“Oh, _I’m_ the tease?”  Morgana leaned up obscenely pouting at him and biting her lip.  His expression fired up and he lurched out of the bed for her.  The dogs scrambled up out of the sheets as Morgana squealed in apparent terror and straightened up, but Merlin’s hand bounced off her rear in a light slap with almost inhuman quickness.  She gave another squeal and Merlin growled low as they moved into the bathroom.  She leaned into the incongruously large shower she’d had installed and Merlin engulfed her in his arms as she turned on the faucets.  Morgana grabbed his hands and guided them to taking off his shirt from her and she twisted, pressing her nakedness against him.  She tilted her head as he straightened from putting the shirt aside and stared up at him.  Merlin was always struck by how beautiful she was.  Her dark curls framed her huge eyes and parted lips and he fell in love with her all over again.  It was like waking up to find that the dream was nothing compared to the reality of her.  There was no denying it.  She was his soul.  Merlin was terrified.

“Stop that.  I’m mad at you.”  He felt that he needed to point it out, given that he was all but simpering for having her stare at him so lovingly.  Morgana stepped up on her toes and pulled his head down to her.

“Shut up and kiss me, Merlin.  Just kiss me.  Forever.”  It was tender and soft and perfect in all the best of ways, to start.  But they were naked.  So much skin touching between the two of them always led to more.  Morgana moaned softly as they moved into the shower, with Merlin picking her up effortlessly into his embrace and carrying her over the small edge, dangling her feet into the water.  She leaned back and got the temperature right before going back to kissing him.  Merlin picked her up again and her thighs wrapped around him, sitting just above his hips and hooking perfectly around him like when they made love.  Everything fit together so perfectly.  She could feel his length against her thickening, and she unhooked her legs and pushed him against the wall so she could enjoy his arousal for her.  He gave a sharp moan of protest into her mouth before wincing in agony as he repressed it.  She felt an electric surge bolt through her as his hips thrust forward sharply, not in sexual need but in hissing shock.  Morgana pulled back in concern before she saw his rueful face, shaking her head in confusion at him. 

“That was… _very_ … cold,” he strangled out.  Morgana laughed abruptly and tried to cover it, even as Merlin let her lead him into the steaming hot water as recompense.  She patted his bottom in mocking commiseration and he stared at her, dark light in his eyes as she laughed at him.  Morgana gave him a challenging look, wordlessly asking him what he was going to do about it.  Merlin growled low in his animal need for her, and Morgana dropped the smirk and gasped widely as he grabbed her and lifted her up onto the shower wall.  His thickness slid up her wet thighs and pressed against her.  Morgana shifted her hips and arched her body away from him, pressing her hips towards him as water cascaded over her breasts and hardening nipples. 

“Merlin.  Take me…”  Tired of wanting him with such a brutal edge, Morgana grabbed Merlin’s neck hard and ran another hand down her body, over her breasts and her stomach and gathering water from her body.  She shoved her hand into Merlin’s mouth and he thrust forward with his hips, filling her as she tensed up and gasped, her mouth gaping wide as she soundlessly nodded to him.  Merlin kept growling low in that very un-Merlin like way, rough and hot.  She’d changed him, opened him up to that side of him he kept hidden from everyone else.  Morgana didn’t care.  She never wanted anyone else to know what she and Merlin had.  It was theirs, and it was perfect.  She drove him wild, and he was her everything.  Merlin sliding inside of her sent her world dark and wet, and she leaned back into the shower spray, holding onto the base of the faucet as she rocked against Merlin’s hips, undulating her body against him.  His arms tightened around her and he pushed close, pressing up against her and sandwiching her between his flushed hot skin and the water-heated tiles.  Their faces beside one another as they moved together, Merlin’s teeth found her shoulder and her nails scaped hard across his shoulders as both hissed sharply in the painful passion of the moment. The shower filled with their mingled scents and time lost its track as they moved against one another.   

Her thick, full hair was wet and slick against her body as Morgana gasped in rhythm, feeling the crest of her pressure building up and teetering on the edge.  Merlin tensed and grunted in strained wordlessness as her thighs squeezed him hard, and Morgana began to shake.  Merlin held on, but she grabbed his wet hair with both hands and pulled hard, her eyes opening wide and her mouth agape as she crashed down onto him, her legs weakening and shaking as she started to climax.  Her obvious pleasure and desire for him swept him up into her orgasm, and Merlin’s legs threatened to buckle as his spine filled with light and he began to lose himself in her.  It was too quick, and he tried to stop, but Morgana arched and pushed against his thrusts, pulling him close to her. 

“I want you, baby.  Come hard for me,” she moaned, licking his ear and biting his ear lobe.  Merlin tensed and moaned intensely as he gushed inside of her, and Morgana delightedly moaned loudly as he thrust another couple of times and then sagged against the tiles with her, his legs shaking and threatening to give way.  Morgana couldn’t quite get up the strength to pull herself up, and Merlin leaned down, slipping out of her and shaking his head against her shoulder, kissing the teeth marks he’d left there.  Morgana cradled his head in against her as he kissed her skin softly.  The water poured down over them, still hot despite the time they’d spent against one another.  Merlin’s arms tightened around her as she leaned back away from him to kiss him.  She moved her hair out of the way, knowing what Rapunzel must have gone though as she bathed.  One look at the complete adoration on Merlin’s face was all she needed to know she’d only cut it if she absolutely had to.  The water flowed down her bared neck and chest like a river over her collarbones as Merlin dipped his head down.  He opened his mouth and let his tongue dance over her collarbones and opened wider still, drinking the water that flowed across her skin and taking the edge off of a thirst for her that he hoped he’d never slake. 

She watched him worship her and for a split second, could only think about how everything in the last three years had been so utterly perfect between them, and how she didn’t know how she ever lived without him.  Merlin lifted his head into the water and held her against him as Morgana stared down their bodies, at the pooling water between them.  A sudden smile came and went as she considered that not even water could come between them, so tightly did they hold onto one another. 

“I love you so much.”  _Goddess damn me,_ she thought.  _Post-orgasm bliss could go screw itself._   Blue cobalt slid across stony hazel as her words echoed in the bathroom.  They hadn’t said a great deal about their feelings.  She’d certainly never admitted that she loved him before, or at least not to his face.  They’d been so perfect together that she’d never wanted to ruin it.  Merlin confusedly nodded, and Morgana looked away from his eyes, suddenly wishing she’d never said it. 

“And you know you’re the absolute love of my life, right?” She looked up at him in shock and then a slow smile came across her face as she nodded slowly.  Merlin shrugged. 

“So we’re okay?”  He wasn’t going anywhere as he said it, but it didn’t feel like he was taking it seriously.  It wasn’t going anywhere near what she’d thought the conversation would when she’d imagined mountains suddenly shattering and rivers breaking through dams in epic congratulations.  It wasn’t like the movies. 

“Um…”  She needed something to say.  Morgana had wanted to take whatever they were to the next level.  She knew that.  She just didn’t know what the next level was.  Or at least, she couldn’t decide between what she wanted and what Merlin seemed to want.  She was comfortable with the IDEA of talking to him, but actually going _through_ with it was a completely different idea.  Merlin would be open to discussing anything with her, she knew that.  But she was just terrified of what he might say.  The joys of being an adult.

“Is this about children?”  She wasn’t ready for him to ask that question.  She didn’t meet his eyes and his arms tightened around her in a reassuring squeeze as he turned the tap off.  Morgana cleared water from her face to give herself time to think. 

“Look, Merlin, I don’t want to change anything about us, but maybe, I don’t know, if you wanted to, we could maybe look at the idea of…”  He looked at her and his smile gave her encouragement.  “What do you think about Louise?”

 “As a name?  For something other than a cat?”  Morgana looked up at his earnest face and fell in love with him all over again.  She lightly slapped his chest and then stared at him. 

“Be nice, Merlin.  I’m serious.  It’s my middle name.  All the women in my family have it.”  He smiled and let go of her, reaching out and handing her towel to her as he wrapped himself in his own.  “What if?  I mean what if we stopped using protection?” 

“I’m game if you are,” he shrugged, sitting on the edge of the bathtub so she could get out of the shower.  It was really too big for the room, but considering how her legs were still shaking from the aftershocks of their lovemaking, Morgana thought it was more than fine.  She began to pull her fingers through her hair, untangling the knots and wincing as she pulled through them.  Merlin winced in sympathy and handed her a brush.  

“We don’t have to get married.  But I think I want to have your children,” she said slowly, trying to gauge his reaction.  Merlin adored kids.  And they adored him.  Morgana often wondered why someone that would be such an obviously amazing father wouldn’t have any. 

“You know you keep saying amazing things to me, like every month or so you say another thing that’s pretty much the best thing anyone’s ever said to me.  But it needs to be something more than just “you think” if we’re looking to be parents, Morgana.”  His serious tones took her back a step and Morgana leaned forward, putting a hand on his towel-covered knee.   

“You’d be an amazing father, Merlin.  I don’t know why you haven’t had children before.”  She didn’t make it a question, but he shrugged anyway, looking away. 

“I hadn’t met you yet.  As for being a father, I guess…  I don’t really know how.  I don’t have much for a point of reference, not from an actual father.”  She tried to ignore the casual way he had basically confirmed that he thought she was the one for him, with the throwaway statement of not having met her before due time.

“If I think about that, I might just cry, Merlin.  Just be yourself.  That’s all you’ll need to be.”  She sat beside him and their shoulders touched.  She hated not touching him.  She tried to keep it reasonable, but if she wasn’t touching him somehow, some way, every day, then it wasn’t a good day.  Merlin picked her hand up and kissed her palm. 

“I’m not really…  Look, we haven’t talked about this, but I don’t like the idea of having children out of wedlock.  Technically I’m a bastard myself, so it’s just something I’m sensitive about.  A condition, I guess.”   They weren’t married, and Morgana heard him say he didn’t want them, but then she caught up with the rest of what he was saying.  And it was true.  And pretty reasonable.  It might be old fashioned, but given his particular upbringing of absentee paternal guidance, she didn’t mind. 

“Oh.  Okay.  I guess I didn’t think about it that way.”  She took a breath to steady her nerves.  “But you didn’t say no.”  Merlin squeezed her hand, and the corner of his lip twitched. 

“No,” he agreed.  “I didn’t say no.”  He smiled again, and Morgana felt her nerves tighten up into a bundle in her stomach.  Was he saying he wanted to marry her, or just that he wanted to be married before having kids with _anyone_? 

“Just that you want to get married first, before having children,” she clarified.    

“Yes,” he nodded.  Morgana still wasn’t sure.  There wasn’t exactly a guide for these conversations.  It would be a best-seller if it was.  Especially with Merlin being so obtusely close-mouthed.  His mind was racing, obviously.  It always did.  But with his mind moving so fast, his explanations didn’t always come across clearly.  What seemed obvious to him was completely eluding her.  Heaven forbid she admit that to him right now, though.

“But I’d like children, Merlin.  I want to be a mother.  I want your children, eventually.  Doesn’t have to be now,” she added, concerned that he might think she wanted to leave if he didn’t get her pregnant right away.  She’d known friends in college that had honey-trapped their boyfriends by suddenly going off their contraceptives and not telling them.  She wasn’t going to be one of them, but children were in the plan, one day.  Sooner rather than later, if she could.  Merlin shrugged, unconcerned at her point, which almost hurt.  And then did, because he didn’t seem to care in the slightest that she wanted children. 

“My feelings aren’t important?” she asked, watching him shrug again.  Her eyes grew dangerous for a split second as Merlin’s soft smile laughed at her. 

“No more so than mine.”  He looked at her expectantly and a tiny voice in the back of her head that sounded like Gwen was screaming at her, but she was slightly mad at Merlin’s cavalier attitude, and didn’t listen to it. 

“What are you saying, Merlin?” she asked in quiet exasperation.  She was missing something, and secretly felt that Merlin was lauding it over her.  He shook his head and abruptly stood up and walked out.  Morgana sat on the edge of the bathroom, cold and alone in her confusion until he stormed back in.  He knelt down in front of her and pet her hands on top of his and looked up her into her face.     

“This isn’t how I pictured it.  I thought of all these grand gestures and moments.  But I can do it right so many times in my head and it all seems contrived. I’m sorry.  For later…  I’m so sorry.  You might think it’s for the wrong reason, but shove that.  It’s an excuse.  I’ve been wanting to do it for a long time now.  I don’t want to tell you how long, because you’ll laugh at me.  But you need to shut up and listen to me for a minute.”  Her mouth snapped shut and her eyes lit up in disbelieving rage until he lifted his hand and the light caught on the elegantly set diamond of the ring in his fingertips.  The tiny voice in her head squealed in absolute delight, utterly convincing Morgana that although she hadn’t cared if they got married or not for the sake of the possibility of children, that she had _completely_ wanted Merlin to want to marry her, regardless of the lies she told herself.   

“Morgana Pendragon.  You’ve taught me things about myself that I would have denied until the day I died.  You’ve made my life utterly complete.  I know it’s not important to you.  And I know regardless, you’d be an amazing mother.  But I want to do this for me.  I want to be your husband.  I want to be yours in any way there still might be doubt.  I don’t want to spend the rest of my life looking for someone just like you.  I’ve found you.  I’m not the smartest man, but I’m not dumb enough to let you go without at least asking you two words that could change my life, and your life, and maybe make it _our_ life.  So.  Be mine?”

∞∞Ŧ∞∞

Gwen gasped and her hand went up to cover her mouth even as Morgana handed her a serviette and laughed a little self-consciously.  Arthur, his face a little pale from her earlier description of their shower adventure, even though she’d toned it down, screwed his face up in confusion. 

“He did it in a towel?”  Gwen rolled her eyes and slapped him over the back of the head with an angry scoff even as she dabbed at her cheeks. 

“Who cares?  It doesn’t matter what he was wearing unless it matters because of what he was wearing!”  Arthur rubbed his head and went to reply, but he had nothing to say.  There was no use arguing with the logic of that statement, or more to the point, the absolute and complete lack of it. 

Morgana sipped her hot chocolate and tried to keep the smile from her face as her _engagement_ _ring_ caught the sunlight and sparkled.  Engagement ring.  Hers.  She was engaged.  To Merlin.  He wanted to marry her.  Morgana smiled again.  She’d been doing it so much in the past week that her cheeks had started to hurt. 

“What happened next?”  Gwen settled down again, the bedraggled napkin in her clenched fist as she picked up her mug, happiness through her features.  “Spare me no details!”  Arthur glanced at Morgana with a pleading look which made her laugh. 

“Next we kicked the dogs out of the bedroom,” she winked, and Gwen giggled.  Arthur moaned in apparent disgust, and pulled out his phone.  “And then we went tuxedo shopping.  He came to the gallery opening that night and I could barely concentrate but it was a total success and everything’s been perfectly perfect since.”  Gwen grinned at her again and took her hand, looking at the ring. 

“I’ll say this for him, he’s got good taste in meaningful jewellery,” she noted, flicking a glance to Arthur in exasperation.  He didn’t look up from his phone, but he had a smug grin that was turned away from Gwen’s direction.  Arthur had already badgered Merlin into introducing him to his jeweller.  Merlin’s absolute refusal to discuss the subject had led to much discussion between Gwen and Morgana about Arthur and Gwen’s upcoming holiday to the Canadian Rockies.  Arthur rarely showed his dramatic side, but the girls knew that he was going to go all out for Gwen.  They just wanted details, but even their combined might was nothing on Merlin’s loyalty to his best friend. 

Arthur looked up as Merlin rounded the corner down the street, and stood up to wave.  Merlin changed direction and came over.  Morgana smiled at him in welcome and kissed him softly, her eyes warm and affectionate. 

“Hey you.  Puppies away safely?”  Merlin nodded as he clasped hands and bumped shoulders with Arthur before hugging Gwen, who kissed his cheek with fierce pride. 

“Yeahup.  They’re all set for the weekend.  I told them we might not be in until later on Monday, and they’re happy for us to call, or come by on the Tuesday.  Aithusa was already playing with the other dogs when I left, but Kilgarrah was his usual dramatic self and watched me drive out of the carpark.  He’s such a morose diva when we go away.”  He sat down just as one of the wait staff swerved sinuously through the crowd on the outside decking and professionally delivered a mug overflowing with melted chocolate with a sea of marshmallows.  Merlin felt a rush of affection at Morgana’s thoughtfulness and gave her a soft look as another plate was deposited in front of him with three chocolate coated strawberries on it.  Morgana thanked the wait staff, who ducked her head and backed out through the crowd, and gave Merlin a look of soft warmth as he bit into a strawberry with pleasure. 

“Looking forward to the weekend away?  Paris is hot this time of year; don’t forget your bathers if you’re going to make it to Nice,” Arthur advised.  Merlin nodded as he wiped his thumb across his lip to clear the strawberry juice and went to pick up his mug, which seemed to somehow be missing a marshmallow.  Or several.  He glanced at Morgana and Gwen, who both had artful expressions of innocence on their faces and marshmallow powder on their lips. 

“I’m sure Morgana will eventually leave the Louvre, but it might take two days.  That’s why I organised the extended weekend,” laughed Merlin.  His hand dropped down between the chairs to rest on her knee, and Morgana’s dropped to entwine their fingers.  The simple touch of their fingers felt so good it was ridiculous.  Nothing made sense, which made perfect sense, really.  “I just have to find room for the apparently empty suitcases I’m supposed to bring?  Because why, again?”  Morgana shrugged.

“It’s Paris,” she explained.  She gave a shrug, and Merlin smiled, as it was all the explanation he was going to get.  “How’s father?” she asked Arthur, uncertainty in her tone.  “Have you told him?”  Arthur shook his head.

“I wasn’t sure if you wanted me to tell him, or tell him yourself, or just let him find out?” he answered softly.  The four of them fell silent until Morgana shook her head.

“I’m not ashamed.  I’m ecstatically happy.  I have been for a few years now.  If he can’t accept that, then I’m sorry for him.  If he finds out, he finds out.  Until then, he’s made it perfectly clear that if he can’t control my life, then he doesn’t want to be a part of it.”  Merlin’s fingers slid further over her hand and squeezed reassuringly at her defiant words.  “We don’t need him.”

“Maybe he’ll change his tune when he’s got some grandchildren to occupy him.”  Gwen’s eyes widened and she whirled on Arthur. 

“You told them already?!  This was supposed to be about their engagement, you dolt, not the baby!” she snapped in incredulous disbelief.  Arthur shook his head and held up two hands in placation. 

“No, of course not, you wanted to tell them both, of course not, I’ve been here with _you_ the whole morning!”  Morgana shrieked and launched herself across the table to embrace her friend. 

“You’re pregnant!  That’s so amazing!  I’m so happy for you!”  Merlin laughed and shook Arthur’s hand then hugged him before swapping with Morgana and embracing Gwen as Morgana hugged her brother.  “We didn’t know, you let it slip!” she laughed as they sat back down, holding hands with Merlin again, this time on top of the table.  Her cheeks were flushed and she was surprised to find that she wasn’t even a little jealous, despite wanting her own children.  Her and Merlin had time, plenty of time, and they wanted to go out and do things, thus the holiday to Paris.  She looked affectionately at Gwen’s happy features, and glowing eyes until she suddenly frowned and looked between Morgana and Merlin.

“Wait, what was the talk about grandchildren if you two didn’t know about the baby?”  Her eyes widened and Arthur’s followed suit.

“Are you two…?  Do you have news as well?”  Merlin looked at Morgana and shook his head.  They shared a smile.

“Not yet.  But don’t expect a long wait before some cousins come along.”  Merlin raised an eyebrow at exactly the same time that Arthur did. 

“Cousins?  Plural?  Really?” he asked, his tone slightly amused and slightly shocked.  Morgana met her fiancé’s look with one of calm indifference. 

“How many baby Merlin’s are you planning on?” asked Arthur with a grin. 

“Oh, I don’t know,” Morgana shrugged. “Like…”  She pretended to consider it.  “Twelve.”  She nodded as Merlin’s mouth fell open.  “Twelve might do.  Maybe.  I’ll get back to you.”  She ducked her chin into her shoulder and gave the two men an impish grin.  Gwen stole another marshmallow from Merlin’s hot chocolate as he protectively lifted the plate of chocolate strawberries out of her reach. 

“We could go six each, you know.  That sounds pretty reasonable to me.  What about you, Morgana?”  Arthur laughed at his sister, who nodded, considering it. 

“So I can keep my figure.  Good thinking, Arthur.”  She stole the last strawberry off the raised plate and Merlin sighed. 

“Knaves, the lot of you.  You’re all bad influences.  Blackguards.”  Arthur grinned at him as Gwen and Morgana looked at one another and giggled.  Their lunches began to arrive and Arthur and Gwen went about directing the meals to the right places, and Morgana tugged Merlin’s hand.  He leaned in close to her and she breathed in, loving the way his cologne smelled with his skin. 

“I love you.” 

“Tell me again.”

“I love you.  Like a lot.”

“I’d give a lot to return that to you for the next ninety years or so.”

“Only if you mean it.”

“Always.”

∞∞Ŧ∞∞ 

The End. 


End file.
